ok i am black but my dad's mom is half cherokee indian so how much....?

Wow, talk about prevalent misinformation on this forum! The only person who responded with an accurate answer was the tribally enrolled member, though I disagree about her opinion on the bi-racial label. And it doesn't exactly have to be your grandma who's enrolled. But I was happy to see her response.

First off, you are not 1/8 as so many are saying. If your dad had one African American parent and one Cherokee parent, he'd be 1/2 of each. If one of your parents is African American or black and one is half Cherokee or Indian or whatever you want to say, that makes you 75% pr 3/4 African American and 25% or 1/4 Cherokee. Now, that's assuming your Cherokee paternal grandma was full Cherokee, your paternal African American grandpa was full African American, and your mom is full African American. Chances are something else is mixed in there somewhere, since most people in your parents and even grandparents generations are prob. mixed, just as ours are. I'd venture to say nearly everyone alive today is mixed to some degree, with possibly, a few exceptions. However, assuming they were all full, you are 1/4 Cherokee. Your kids (if you have them with someone who doesn't have Native ancestry) will be 1/8 Cherokee. Also, I certainly wouldn't say you're barely Cherokee as some suggest. 1/4 is quite a sizeable portion of your genetics.

Would you be considered biracial? According to Merriam-Webster, biracial means, "of, relating to, or involving members of two races" Your genetic background fits this. While we normally don't call people biracial unless the mixture is significant, not only does this definition technically fit you, but 1/4 is significant. Some might say it should be 1/2 and 1/2 first, but with 1/4 Cherokee blood, you could be accepted into a tribe, and thus could claim to be Native American or part Native American, and recognized, as such. Obviously with 2/3 African American blood, you could also claim to be black or African American, and be legally recognized as such, so how could people argue you can't be considered bi-racial?

To join the Cherokee nation, you must have a certain blood quantum or higher, and you must have ancestors listed on one of the "rolls" who can prove this blood quantum. Your grandma herself didn't have to be registered, however. You only need to have an ancestor on the rolls who not only fulfills the requirement of having someone on the certain rolls in your ancestry, but who also proves you have a high enough blood quantum. If your grandma is enrolled, and she is accepted by them as full Cherokee, you could join based on that. Yet, it's my understanding that if your grandmother has enough of her ancestors on certain rolls to prove she is full Cherokee, even if she isn't currently enrolled herself, she could join right now, or you could join without her, since that would also fulfill the requirement of having direct lineal ancestors on the rolls who prove you have the acceptable blood quantum. For example, if both her parents are enrolled as full, they could deduct she was full Cherokee also, and your dad 1/2 and you 1/4 and you could join. Even if only one of her parents was enrolled as full, it would prove she was at least 1/2, your dad at least 1/4, and you at least an 1/8, which would still enable you to join. Even if only one of her grandparents was enrolled or on any acceptable rolls, as full, it would show one parent was at least 1/2, she was at least 1/4, your dad at least an 1/8, and you at least 1/16, which is all you need to join the Eastern band. I don't even think the Oklahoma band has blood requirements, but I might be mistaken.

The Cherokee now have diff. groups that you can join with- an Eastern band that remained in Appalachia, and a Western band that was forced to move on the Trail of Tears. To join the Cherokee band, "Enrollment in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is governed by Cherokee Code, Chapter 49, Enrollment, and restricts enrollment to the following: direct lineal ancestor must appear on the 1924 Baker Roll of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and must possess at least 1/16 degree of Eastern Cherokee blood. (Blood Quantum is calculated from your ancestor listed on the 1924 Baker Roll. No DNA/blood testing is performed or acceptable for this calculation.)" That is from the Cherokee NC link.

The Oklahoma site says, "To be eligible for CDIB/Tribal Citizenship with the Cherokee Nation, you must be able to provide documents that connect you to an enrolled lineal ancestor, who is listed on the (DAWES ROLL) FINAL ROLLS OF CITIZENS AND FREEDMEN OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES, Cherokee Nation with a blood degree. This roll was taken between 1899-1906 of Citizens and Freedmen residing in Indian Territory (now NE Oklahoma).

Many applicants do not qualify for CDIB/Citizenship as their ancestors did not meet the enrollment requirements and were not enrolled. Certain requirements had to be met in order to be placed on the Dawes Roll.

CDIB/Tribal Citizenship are issued through natural parents. In adoption cases, CDIB/Citizenship must be proven through the BIOLOGICAL PARENT to the enrolled ancestor. A copy of the Final Decree of Adoption, and a State Certified, Full Image/Photocopy of the Birth Record must accompany the application. All information will remain confidential"

I do not think the Oklahoma group requires a certain blood degree. The Eastern band requires 1/16. Certain Native groups require more, such as 1/8, I believe. There are NUMEROUS Cherokee rolls, but the tribes only accept some of them, as you can see, and some Cherokee were surely left off all of them.

To the person who asked why you'd want to be Native- I don't know why you wouldn't want to claim what you are. You are part Native American and part African American, not to mention a great deal of both. Why would you want to reject either one? Your dad is def. bi-racial being half Cherokee and half African American. Both make up his racial identity and his heritage. Why would you need to reject his heritage and yours? Some people who are bi-racial choose to identify with only one race. So you could simply say you are either one, esp. if you have tribal enrollment, but why deny, either?

If you search and your ancestor wasn't on the rolls, it doesn't mean you aren't part Cherokee, but it does mean you can't join the tribe. Legally, not being able to join might change your race, but genetically, it doesn't. Now, you need to document and trace your father's family back to someone on the accepted rolls, and someone that you can use to prove you have the right blood quantum, as well. Then you can apply for citizenship.

You father is 1/2 native making him biracial, which would make you 1/4 native, but not biracial. Many Native tribes accept members who are at least 1/16th. The only way that you are considered a Native is if your grandmother was registered with a tribe. It would also help if the race appears on your fathers birth certificate, but if he is alive he can get it updated and then have yours updated as well. My grandmother was a full native and my father was biracial. My whole family is registered with our tribe. There are many black people who have a native member in their history and most believe it is Cherokee because the tribe was kind of spread out after the Trail of Tears and settled in several states. Most likely your grandmother was not a Cherokee but a member of another tribe that mixed with the Cherokees after the resettlement. Many Native tribes are starting to accept & recognize their black members

Look at the link below, it has information that could help you research your family history.

My Great Grandfather was half white/black and my Great Grandmother was half Cherokee/black, those were my Grandfather s parents. My GrandMother s mom was half black/Cherokee and dad was black. My whole family identify as African Americans due to whites and Cherokee didn t care for half black offspring, nor have we tried to contact any of our white relatives or Cherokee. Even though we have ancestry other than black, we identify as black because we did not want to be a part of a bloodline that hold stupid beliefs about people. Many of us went to college, military, and employed gainfully without denying our black identify. No biracial here, straight up black!

You're 1/8 Cherokee, but not nearly enough to be considered either Indian or even biracial.

I would be biracial because my dad is full native american and my mom is black.

your only 1/8

your not biracial

most bands require 1/4 or higher

very few require 1/16 or higher(which is retarded)

25%indian or( native american, i think thats what you mean) 75% Black. and NO you are not "Biracial", lov your Blackness!

im 25% white 75% black, but race isnt nothing to me. We are the human race!

Your dad is 25% NA making you 12.5% if you round it 13%. Your still black not biracial lol.

i have been surfing the internet more than 3 hours today looking for answer to the same question, and I haven't found any interesting discussion like this. it is pretty worth enough for me.

Why do you want to be Indian

1/8thish

and congrats Cherokee Indians are immune to Alzheimer disease

im 1/8