WATONGA – The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will begin accepting applications later this year under the expanded eligibility rules approved by tribal voters this month.
On Oct. 5, Cheyenne and Arapaho citizens voted to lower the blood quantum requirement to 1/8th, down from 1/4th. This means that anyone with one fully Cheyenne or Arapaho great-grandparent is now eligible for tribal membership.
The tribes’ executive office announced that the Department of Enrollment will begin accepting applications on Dec. 1, 2021, for those eligible under the passed amendment.
“Revised application packets will be available by mail or on the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes website by November 12, 2021,” the office said in a statement. “Original birth certificates and social security cards are required for the application. Additional documents for guardianships, adoptions, and name changes may also be required. CDIB II holders must apply for full membership status.”
A CDIB II, also known as a descendancy letter, shows proof that an individual possesses Cheyenne or Arapaho blood, but is not an enrolled tribal member. These letters were accepted at some Indian Health Service clinics and for some school-related assistance programs.
Now, many individuals with CDIB II letters may be eligible for membership.
Wassana Lifts Public Health Restrictions
On Oct. 15, Cheyenne and Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana issued an executive order retracting many of the public-health measures he put in place at the height of the delta variant of COVID-19, including a requirement that all Cheyenne and Arapaho employees be vaccinated.
Unvaccinated employees were previously on unpaid leave as of Sept. 6. They were allowed to return to work as of Oct. 18.
“However, the employee must provide a negative Covid test within the last 4 days,” Wassana’s order says. Unvaccinated employees must also be tested for COVID-19 every Tuesday “until further notice,” while vaccinated employees are only tested once a month.
Over 90% of Cheyenne and Arapaho employees are fully vaccinated, the order says. “With that being said, it is time to begin our new normal. Covid-19 remains a serious risk to unvaccinated people, and I encourage all Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal members and employees to get their shot as soon as possible.”