New constitution for White Earth has implications for MN Chippewa Tribe

On November 19th, almost 80 percent of the voting members of the White Earth Nation, part of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, approved a new White Earth constitution. The new constitution, among other things, establishes a new rule for determining tribal membership. The White Earth Nation will be the first band in Minnesota to do away with the so-called “blood quantum” law for tribal membership. WTIP’s Kelly Schoenfelder recently spoke with Professor John Borrows of the University of Minnesota, an expert on indigenous law, about the new constitution.