Problem:
According to Ariel Levy ("Reservations: A tribe stakes its identity on a casino -- in the Hamptons"): a. How a tribe's members look physically is not an issue as far as federal recognition is concerned. b. Tribes in the U.S. Southwest often have problems gaining federal recognition because of how they look. c. If tribal members don't look "authentically" Native American, people will question whether or not that tribe should have federal recognition.