American Indian Ethnic Renewal: Politics and the Resurgence of Identity

Abstract

This chapter examines recent demographic trends in the American Indian population to understand the conditions and factors that lead individuals to change their racial identity. It argues that the increase in American Indian ethnic identification reflected in the US Census is an instance of “ethnic renewal”. Ethnic renewal refers to both individual and collective processes. Changes in American political culture brought about by the ethnic politics of the civil rights movement created an atmosphere that increased ethnic consciousness, ethnic pride, and ethnic mobilization among all ethnic groups, including American Indians. The result increased the appeal of Indian ethnicity for many individuals, and no doubt contributed to the resurgence of Indian self-identification. American Indians indeed were able to navigate the changing currents of American ethnic politics, and their successes resulted in increased federal spending on Indian affairs, making American Indian identification a more attractive ethnic option for many Americans of Indian descent.