October 8, 2021
Press Release
In a primary election on Tuesday, voters in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes passed a referendum to amend the sovereign tribal nation’s constitution to decrease the blood quantum requirement for citizenship from one-fourth to one-eighth.
The ballot question regarding Cheyenne-Arapaho citizenship passed with 64% of the vote, receiving 1,308 ballots in favor to 730 ballots against the measure.
Until now, full citizenship has constitutionally required “1/4, or more, degree of blood of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.” With the passage of the referendum, the amount will be changed to one-eighth.
Full citizenship includes eligibility to vote, qualification for tribal services and benefits, and the ability to serve on the Tribal Council.
Incumbent Gov. Reggie Wassana said changing the blood quantum requirement will help bolster citizenship numbers.
In the past two years, according to Wassana, the number of citizens in the tribe has remained steady, at around 12,900, as the number of deaths is nearly the same as the number of newly enrolled citizens. The number has never reached over the 13,000 mark.
Wassana said he expects anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 citizens — or possibly more — to enroll within the next year or two as a result of the constitutional amendment.
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