An exploration of three generations of a Jemez Pueblo family impacted by federal Indian relocation policy: identity, indigeneity, and notions of belonging

This dissertation is comprised three main sections including a journal article, book chapter and a policy reflection piece. My guiding research question is the following—How do Jemez Pueblo people and their descendants who migrated to California as a result of the Relocation Act of 1956 define their cultural identities?



The journal article seeks to address the question: How can we explore the experiences of Urban Native Americans from a strengths-based approach, restructuring dominant narratives, and breaking barriers between urban and reservation spaces? Additionally, the journal article will provide a literature overview on urban American Indian experiences, including the stories of three generations of my family impacted by the Relocation period, in addition to the major findings of my research study. The book chapter is informed by the following question: How might Pueblo perspectives of identity benefit from examining multiple theories of Indigeneity? I seek to explore the complexity of Indigenous identities and examine multiple theories of Indigeneity that can assist Pueblo peoples in thinking about community and membership, and in particular, with regards to those tribal peoples who have relocated away from their Pueblos. I will include salient points from my dissertation research that help us to answer this question.

The policy reflections piece conveys the urgency to address the continued use of blood quantum in our Pueblo communities as a measurement for tribal citizenship. Like many other Indigenous parents, my interest in this issue is of personal importance to me as my own child is not eligible for enrollment in any of my tribal nations; thus, I have had to consider what a post “American Indian” identity is going to look like for her. I want to urge Pueblo communities and tribal governance to begin to rethink notions of citizenry and belongingness rooted in our original instructions, what Pueblo people refer to as our core values. The three sections of this dissertation are interrelated in that they seek to grow a more inclusive Pueblo community in effort to retain our cultural practices and belief systems for generations to come.