Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions we get asked often and their answers.

We are a Native American Descendant tribe, not a Native American Tribe. A Descendant Tribe is a group of people who are the mixed-race descendants of Native Americans, often called Mixed-Bloods.

No. Currently, the US government only gives recognition to Native American tribes, not their descendants who are unable to enroll with their ancestral tribes. However, we are the only tribe in the United State to be city-recognized, not by one, but by two cities and three-sitting mayors.

Unlike most Native American tribes, we do not enroll based off of blood quantum (1/2, 1/4, etc.); if you can prove Native American heritage, you qualify for enrollment with the Sakochee. Simply fill-out the enrollment application HERE.

There are two way to go about proving your Native American ancestry:

1. Documentation: Through this route, a person must be able to provide census records, tribal rolls, or other documentation to prove their line of descent from a Native American.
2. DNA Test: By using a DNA test company, such as www.Ancestry.com or www.23andMe.com a person can potentially prove their Native American ancestry. However, not all DNA test companies will show Native American DNA due to the different alleles tested and that DNA is not inherited equally. For instance, one sibling can show Native American DNA while another only shows European.

The Sakochee offer two kinds of proof of enrollment: ID card and Letter of Enrollment. To receive yours, please request so via our Contact Us page.

If you have at least one Native American ancestor, no matter how far back, you are a Native American Descendant, also known as a Mixed-Blood. However, the term "Mixed-Blood" is routed in racism, and such, our tribe will not identify our people by that phrase.

Sadly, the US government has yet to recognize the Native American Descendants. As such, we a re fully self-reliant. We always have been. Given that only being federally recognized brings benefits, we cannot offer any benefits by enrolling at this time. The only benefits are:

• A tribal home where you belong
• Learn about your history
• Gain a backing of more than 150,000 enrolled members