Meet and hear from artist Samuel Stitt, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, whose work Certificate of Degree of Caucasian Blood is featured in this juried exhibition of contemporary Native art. See his work as he describes his inspiration and artistic practices.
Words from Stitt about Certificate of Degree of Caucasian Blood, 2019
“The issue of blood quantum and identity is quite complex—contentious even. So, with this tongue-in-cheek piece, I’d like to grab the attention of viewers or make them chuckle. I’m hoping some folks ask, ‘What is a Certificate of Degree of Caucasian Blood?’ And that may even trigger some further curiosity. Some might even do a little Google searching and find that Native blood quantum is tracked and cataloged to an amazing degree. The model for this humorous card is based on the very real Certification of Degree of Indian Blood, or CDIB. Further, they may discover this rather tenuous method of blood quantum is currently used to define identity or status. Basically, this piece is saying, ‘What if the shoe was on the other foot?’ How many people on the face of the earth have their blood tracked by an official government agency in such a manner?”