Lambs of Sacrifice: Termination, the Mixed-blood Utes, and the Problem of Indian Identity.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the mixed-blood Utes fell victim to the termination process largely as a result of the actions of other Indians and even the nominal defenders of Indian rights. According to statistics compiled by the BIA, 1,314 full-blood Utes retained membership in the tribe, while 490 mixed-bloods found themselves scheduled for termination.[48] The decision to divide the Ute Tribe and terminate the mixed-blood members' gains added significance when cast into historical perspective, for the mixed-blood question has a long and illustrative history. In 1954 the Bureau of Indian Affairs attempted to implement policies that would halt federal supervision and trust responsibilities over several tribes of American Indians. With the prospect of the membership receiving large per capita payments, a group of full-blood Utes petitioned the commissioner of Indian Affairs to halt the enrollment of mixed-blood Utes into the tribe. [Extracted from the article]