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Photo: Luis Prado/DNR The Colville tribe in Washington State is considering a plan to ease tribal membership requirements FAITH LAPIDUS: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. Im Faith Lapidus. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: And Im Christopher Cruise. This week on our program, we learn why some American Indian tribes are growing faster than the rest of the country. In some cases tribes are moving to restrict membership and are even expelling members to control growth. Later, we look at language and the mind -- how certain word choices might help you discover if a person is lying. (MUSIC) FAITH LAPIDUS: In populations, the rate of natural increase is a rate based on the number of births minus the number of deaths. It does not include migration. In the United States the rate of natural increase is about one percent a year. However, over the past ten years, growth rates for some American Indian tribes have been two to three times higher than the national average. The federal government recognizes five hundred sixty-six American Indian and Alaska Native tribes within the United States. In some ways the tribes are nations within a nation. They can make their own laws on their reservation lands. And their governments have complete authority to decide who can be a member of the tribe. Tribal citizenship is based on the blood lines of ancestors. CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Some Native Americans are returning to their communities because of their tribes increasing wealth from gambling operations and other businesses. But fast growth has been difficult for some tribes, while others wish they had more members. The Tulalip Tribes are based near Everett, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. Their growing membership is a source of pride for John McCoy, a tribal member and a Washington state representative. He says part of the reason for the tribes growth is improved health care. JOHN MCCOY: Were living longer. Our babies are surviving birth. Another reason for the growth, he says, is