MN Chippewa Tribe votes to end blood requirement for members

(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe has voted to remove a decades-old requirement that members have a minimum of 25% Chippewa blood.

Officials say 65% of voters on a referendum question say the blood quantum requirement should be removed from membership in the six-reservation tribe.

The referendum is a guide for tribal leaders who will now decide whether to ask voters to amend the tribe’s constitution.

The majority of voters say each reservation – Fond du Lac, Mille Lacs, Bois Forte, Grand Portage, White Earth and Leech Lake – should be allowed to determine its own enrollment requirements.