Tribal extinction : a model for the long-term consequences of tribal enrollment rules

Graduation Date

1995

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Environmental Systems: Mathematics, 1995

Committee Chair Name

Roland H. Lamberson

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Mathematical Modeling, Indians of North America--Tribal citizenship--California--Hoopa Valley, Hupa Indians--Tribal citizenship, Indians of North America--Tribal citizenship--Mathematical models

Abstract

The Hoopa Valley Tribe is only one of a number of American Indian tribes caught between its unique traditional world and the onslaught of federal policy. These policies though replete with good intentions, may bring about the eventual extinction of Indian tribes. This paper examines the federal policy that takes the form of enrollment rules and requires a certain blood degree for enrollment in the tribe. A mathematical model has been designed to investigate the effects of several factors on the long term population of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. The foremost of these is the affinity factor; the tendency of one tribal member to choose another tribal member as a mating partner. The effects are reported in the following statistics: total population, available mates, and average blood degree. The model projects a steep decline in the population of the tribe given the initial conditions and certain assumptions. Also, the average blood degree is projected to fall from approximately 0.45 to 0.32 in the next 100 years. Due to the nature of the model these figures are the maximum expected. Several options are suggested to alleviate the declines mentioned above, although all options come with critical changes that may need to be made. This paper is offered to open discussion on the solutions necessary to prevent the model outcomes from becoming reality.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/1831cn082

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