The Problem is Marriage: Admixture and Fertility Among Native North Americans, 1888-1903

The majority of American Indians today possess varying degrees of Euro-American admixture. While Native American societies have recovered some of the population losses they experienced from contact to 1900, most of this population recovery has involved the admixed Native Americans, rather than the full-bloods. This thesis explores the historical processes behind Native American population loss, illustrates the statistical significance between the varying levels of fecundity, fertility, and survivorship that spurred this differential recovery between the full-and mixed-blood portions of the population, and explains why this differential recovery occurred. Several factors seem to account for this, ranging from geographical, historical, cultural, and socio-political explanations to considerations of the physical environment and genetics. The data suggest that level of admixture and acculturation were crucial factors in individual, family, and tribal survival, but these factors often had profound effects on the erosion and loss of traditional culture. Interethnic marriage between Indians and whites is blamed by many full-bloods and traditionalists for this loss of native customs, identity, and languages. The lead title for this thesis (taken from Heriard 2000:54) clearly reflects this sentiment.