Not so sure it's temporary. My cousin has lived in OK all her life (and I am here for a few years). She was a teacher, then a principal, in public schools, and eventually a University professor before she retired.

She remarked to me recently that "back in the day" they had to determine how many of the students in each class were Indian, and none of them ever wanted to raise their hands (it was not done in a "PC" way - they just asked, as was the custom of the day).

But the Indian tribes, at least in OK, have organized to the point that it is now a significant advantage to be recognized as Indian, because they get a lot of special perks. If you drive around here some, you'll see a lot - a LOT - of Indian nation license tags, which I presume are less expensive than OK's state tags (just checked, and they are about 30% cheaper, depending on the tribe). And the most valuable perk, depending on your tribe, can be significant amounts of free medical care.

So if I was able to belong to a group that provided free medical care...I'd certainly be tempted, with medical expense being what it is, and I am unsure that is likely to change soon.

These fads are temporary.

The reason is they are against common sense and human nature, let alone true and proven rules that stood the storms of times.