#NativeEnough Discussion Series Shares Shareholder Perspectives on Blood Quantum

Sealaska shareholders and followers of Sealaska social media channels were asked a simple question about a month ago: “Tell us how blood quantum impacts you.”

During a lunch-hour Zoom and Facebook Live event on Wednesday, Oct. 13, Sealaska shared some of those answers. The event also provided background information on the different classes of stock currently available in Sealaska, and the eligibility requirements, rights and privileges associated with each; company history related to eligibility; and information on how to provide input to Sealaska.

Since the question was originally posed on Thursday, Sept. 9, more than 550 have shared their stories.

“There should be no new shareholders for any reason other than gifting and inheritance. Descendants should be able to receive stock from their relatives if those relatives chose to pass their stock along. Otherwise, the descendant should not be able to get new shares issued to them; this dilutes ownership for all other shareholders, which is not fair and should not be legal.”
“If Sealaska is going to continue, and if Native ways of life are going to continue, we must be inclusive, not exclusive. We must share our culture and ways of life with those may not be ‘as Native.'”
“Being Native should not depend on degree of blood. It’s a white mans measurement. We are born, practice traditions and teach our children and grandchildren Native values; it’s our spirit which lives on, not blood!”.
“I would hate to see the corporation be in non-Native control in the future. We need to do something to stop that from happening.”
“Based on the existing criteria, my children do not qualify for descendant stock because our blood quantum on my grandfather’s side was never recorded. In two generations, you’ve excluded descendants from connecting with their culture.”
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The full video of the event is available below. Want to tell us your story? Our survey is short and very open ended.