That attitude about finding love is in tune with the vast majority of young Americans. But what does it mean for the future of a tribal enrollment based on blood quantum? A study by the Salish tribe found that if the current rates of tribal members marrying outside the tribe continued (Indian Country reported that rate as between 60 and 70 percent of tribal members), the tribe itself would soon begin to shrink. Tribal extinction, with that blood quantum requirement, eventually becomes a possibility.

With that in mind, the Salish tribe held a referendum in 2003 to see if the .25 blood quantum level should be lowered. Overwhelmingly the voters said no, it should remain. Among those voting to keep the current level- and thus continue to prohibit Jasa and her brothers from enrolling- were Jasa’s own grandparents.

Joe preferred not to discuss his own vote in the referendum, or the vote of his parents. Suffice to say that Jasa said he was “disappointed” with how his parents voted. And Joe said that, generally, a lot of families were “torn” because of blood quantum.

Jasa’s grandparents could not be reached for this article. But Virgil Brave Rock, the head of the sociology department at Salish-Kootenai College, explained different reasons many voters opposed lowering the blood quantum.

He said the limited resources of the tribal government make lowering the blood quantum requirement (and thus allowing a surge of people to enroll in the tribe) a financial nightmare. There are also those who want to keep the culture pure.

“It was a very hot issue,” said Brave Rock.