It's harder to get into the Cowlitz Tribe of Washington these days.

Only newborns who can show they are a lineal descendant from a tribal member can enroll. And it has to be done by the baby's first birthday.

"This is not uncommon. This is the way a lot of tribes are doing it," Chairman John Barnett told The Longview Daily News.

It used to be different. Anyone who could prove they were a Cowlitz descendant could enroll.

But after the tribe's federal recognition became final in 2002, enrollment surged from about 1,500 to 3,600. So tribal leaders changed the membership requirements in order to control growth.

Get the Story:
Cowlitz tribe blocks "path to Easy Street" (The Longview Daily News 12/19)

$rl Cowlitz Tribe - http://www.cowlitz.org