ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR ENROLLMENT:

BORN BETWEEN May 4, 1960 to Present (Ord.#35A)

  • Born to a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
  • 1/4  Salish and/or Kootenai Blood
  • No residency required

BORN BETWEEN Nov 24,1953 to May 4, 1960 (Ord. 18A)

  • Same as May 4, 1960 to Present 

BORN BETWEEN Apr 3, 1951 to  Nov. 23, 1953 (Ord. 10A)

  • Born to a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
  • ¼ Indian Blood (all Indian blood counted)
  • No residency required

BORN BETWEEN June 20, 1946 to Apr. 2, 1953 (Ord. 4A)

  • Born to a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
  • 1/16 Indian Blood
  • No residency required, however, children must be enrolled within 10 yrs.

BORN BETWEEN 1935 AND MAY 4, 1960

  • Born to a member who is a resident of the Flathead Reservation
  • No minimum blood quantum 

BORN PRIOR 1935 (AMENDED #1)

  • Born to a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
  • ¼ /Salish and/or Kootenai Blood
  • Maintain residency on the reservation for 5 consecutive years

Special Conditions existed for eligibility prior to May 4, 1960. Individuals maintained or retained their residency requirements if:

  • In the military and returned to the reservation after discharge (DD214 required)
  • In an educational institution or public institution
  • Employed in government service
  • Ill health. Doctors certificate stating cause and need for living off reservation

DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE USED FOR BLOOD DEGREE CORRECTIONS/ ENROLLMENTS

Birth: A birth certificate is the best proof of birth. It will legally establish the birth of a child and to whom. In the event that no birth certificate exists the following documents may be accepted at the discretion of the Council:

  • Hospital, clinic, doctor's, or midwife's records
  • Baptismal certificate
  • Affidavits** signed by Doctor's, midwifes, nurses, relatives, or friends.

Death:

  • certified copy of Death certificates
  • Bureau records, especially probate records
  • Mortuary records
  • Funeral director's records
  • Newspaper obituaries
  • Hospital, clinic, or Doctor's records
  • Affidavits** signed by Doctor's, midwifes, nurses, relatives, or friends
  • Affidavits** signed by someone who attended the funeral, or who saw the grave marker and noted the date of death.

Marriage: Marriage certificate issued by the state. Certified copies of marriage certificates can be obtained by writing to the County recorder in the County where the license was issued, or to the State Department of Vital Statistics. In the event that no marriage certificate exists the following documents may be accepted at the discretion of the Council:

  • Affidavits signed by witnesses to a Tribal custom marriage
  • Census records
  • Divorce decree which is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction

Paternity: If the father’s name is not on the birth certificate, the following documentation may be considered:

  • A Court order stating who the biological parents are, which is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction
  • A court order which obligates the individual to pay child support and with record of the payments attached
  • a certified copy of a legal DNA test
  • a paternity acknowledgement that is attached to the birth certificate. Paternity acknowledgements are only considered under the following guidelines: 
    (a.) When the paternity acknowledgement has been signed and notarized within two (2) weeks after the birth of the child and submitted to the Department of Vital Statistics.
    (b.) hen the paternity acknowledgement is over sixty (60) days. The declaration for paternity has a sixty (60) day notice for parents to withdraw their acknowledgement, therefore, only and after sixty (60) days does it become a legal and binding document.
**Affidavits are signed, notarized statements that something is true. It is best to obtain affidavits from persons who have no direct interest in a question, but do have knowledge about it. Affidavits are useful forms of proof when no official records can be obtained, but their value is very limited. If affidavits must be used, and can be made by reliable persons, three affidavits may be considered acceptable proof. Affidavits should be from persons who were alive at the time and old enough at that time to have personal knowledge of the facts that are sworn to. Any other testimony is "hearsay" and therefore not acceptable. Affidavits should state when and where the person was born, and who the parents were. Where there is a question of paternity, this affidavit alone should not be used as evidence.

SOURCES FROM WHICH DOCUMENTATION CAN BE OBTAINED:

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • Adoption Agencies
  • Bureaus of Vital Statistics
  • Historical Societies
  • Newspapers
  • Indian Health Service
  • Welfare Agencies
  • Museums/Library Archives
  • Elderly Tribal Members