Bloglander

Kevin Taylor — former Inlander staffer, and freelancer extraordinaire — has penned a fascinating piece on how science has affected the search for Indian identity for Indian Country Today.

As Taylor explains, Indian casinos have been a boon for many tribes, but the windfall has brought with it larger questions.

"What makes somebody a member of a tribe, and how it is measured?" he writes. "Over the past decade, some tribes have turned to DNA testing to make sure tribal members, and potential enrollees, are who they say they are — at least when it comes to parentage."