Project Director

Deardorff, Michelle

Department Examiner

Strickler, Jeremy; Heise, Sarah

Department

Dept. of Political Science, Public Administration and Nonprofit Management

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Tribal citizenship is often framed as a question of identity or legal status, but it functions more fundamentally as a structure of governance that determines who participates in political life and whether nations can sustain themselves over time. This study compares the citizenship frameworks of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the Cherokee Nation to examine how different enrollment criteria shape political participation, demographic continuity, and institutional capacity. Drawing on tribal constitutions, enrollment materials, governance records, and voter participation data, the analysis demonstrates that citizenship systems produce measurable differences in how tribal governments function in practice. Systems based on fixed eligibility thresholds constrain the size and sustainability of the political community, while descent-based systems expand access but shift pressure toward managing institutional scale and resource distribution. These findings show that citizenship policy is not simply defining who belongs, but structuring who is able to participate, how governance operates, and whether belonging can be sustained across generations. Grounded in both institutional analysis and lived experience, this study argues that enrollment systems must be understood as active political choices with long-term consequences for sovereignty, representation, and continuity. The question is not only who qualifies for citizenship, but whether existing frameworks are sustaining the nation or unintentionally limiting its future.

Degree

B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Date

5-2026

Subject

Indians of North America—Legal status, laws, etc.; Indians of North America—Tribal citizenship; Indians of North America—Politics and government; Indians of North America—Civil rights

Keyword

Tribal Sovereignty; Blood Quantum; Tribal Belonging; Native American Studies

Discipline

American Politics

Document Type

Theses

Extent

i, 49 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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