Indians intermarrying out of existence?

Here's an in-depth article on the blood quantum issue. Unfortunately, its conclusion is that there are no easy answers--or even answers, period.

Blood Quantum

A complicated system that determines tribal membership threatens the future of American IndiansThousands of Native Americans are not enrolled in their tribes because their bloodlines have become diluted over the years, as is happening with the Comes Last family. Even some full-blooded Native Americans lack enough of any one tribe's heritage to qualify for enrollment. And there are many mixed marriages: Studies show that about 60 percent of Native Americans marry outside of their ethnicity, a higher rate than any other group. Demographers predict that by 2080, 92 percent of Native Americans will be more than half non-Native. Already, a new generation is finding it is not "Indian" enough to enroll. Though its members may live on the reservation, participate in tribal ceremonies and even study their ancestral language, they are not eligible for a range of federal and tribal benefits, from subsidized health care and tribal voting rights to job preference and the right to gather eagle feathers. And, on a more intangible note, many simply feel they do not belong.

As more and more children are born with blood that doesn't measure up, tribes across the West are taking a look at their enrollment requirements. In the process, deeper questions--about culture, about identity, about the future of the tribes--are coming to the surface. Underlying them all is one with no easy answer: What exactly does it mean to be an Indian?Comment:  Read the whole article if you're interested in the subject.

For more on the subject, see Lots of Possible Indians and Educating Russ About Who's an Indian.