Matthew Garrett has been studying the definition of the term “Indian” for most of his career. He asks himself what it takes to be a real Indian these days.

Garrett is a California Native American and active Latter-Day Saint Mormon. He has an M.A. in American History earned at the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. in Native American history from Arizona State University. Native American History was his academic field of study, with a focus in Race and Ethnicity in the American West. He said the question, “What makes a real Indian?” framed his doctoral study.

He taught an eighth-grade class for a year prior to work on his degree and also served his Mormon mission in Colorado and Wyoming from 1997-99.

He spoke at the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities on Friday, Oct. 25th from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Most of the presentation surveyed his own family and research projects.

When his presentation began, he asked the question, “What makes a real Indian?” He proceeded with, “The word ‘Indian’ is admittedly a hopelessly flawed word.” He said that the confusion began when Christopher Columbus arrived and mistakenly called the people ‘Indians’ assuming he had arrived in India. He also said the terms “Indian”, “Native American,” and “Native” are all problematic and have no universal preference.

Garrett said that almost all tribes use blood quantum in order to measure and determine who is really Indian. Their minimum qualifications are as follows: The White Mountain Apache require 1/2 Indian ancestry, the Navajos requires 1/4th, Eastern Band of Cherokee will admit anyone with a bit of Cherokee blood.

The next main topic that was discussed was the Mormon Church’s Indian Student Placement Program. The program was a voluntary and seasonal foster program. One day as Garrett helped his parents clean their garage he found old photographs. Noticing two young girls that swam in his parent’s pool, opened Christmas gifts with them, and sat at their dinner table, he wondered who they where and why they were in his house. He later found that his parents participated in the program for a short time, accepting Native American children before his birth. They hoped to provide a white middle class experience and a suburban setting for schooling. During the school year the Native American youth would live in Mormon homes and in the summer they would return to their reservations.

In total about 50,000 Native American children participated from 1937-2000 when the program ended.

Garrett questioned whether the Native American youth that participated in the program are still considered to be Indian, being that they lived a Morman lifestyle.

At the end of the speech, Garrett invited his audience to try some of the cultural food that was provided by Alex Gomez. On the Native side, fry bread with toppings such as meat, beans, lettuce, chopped tomato, and olives were available. Mormon Jell-O with pear was also provided.