Researchers found her people actually originated from Eastern Europe and Russia. A pretendian (portmanteau of pretend and Indian) is a person who has falsely claimed Indigenous identity by claiming to be a citizen of a Native American or Indigenous Canadian tribal nation, or to be descended from Native ancestors. ", scooped Indigenous children from their families, 1867 federal treaty with the Chippewa of the Mississippi, List of unrecognized tribes in the United States, Native Americans in German popular culture, Category:American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent, "Doubts Over Indigenous Identity in Academia Spark 'Pretendian' Claims - Some Canadian universities now require additional proof to back up Indigenous heritage, replacing self-declaration policies", "4. Then questions arose about her identity. There are many angles to the story, and this one, while not the most crucial, piqued our interest due to the New York Post/Fox News connection and Fox News previous manipulation of photos. Not some random journalist who wants to speak for all Indigenous peoples. Native ancestor, claiming to be Abenakis from and of VT (or NH). [3][8][9][10] It is sometimes also referred to as a form of fraud,[1] ethnic fraud or race shifting.[11][12]. in an attempt to undermine people it disagrees with). [7][16][17], The academic Joel W. Martin noted that "an astonishing number of southerners assert they have a grandmother or great-grandmother who was some kind of Cherokee, often a princess", and that such myths serve settler purposes in aligning American frontier romance with southern regionalism and pride.[18]. Our rationale was that Fox News, owned by the same people that run the Post, has manipulated pictures of people it has wanted to portray unflatteringly in the past, so this certainly could have been the case here. Yes, people lying about their ancestry to gain some personal advantage is wrong, It is not that the type of effort that Keeler is undertaking is bad. They are also all monetizing their claims. The State politicians and the groups sought out the Indian Arts and Crafts Act people to guide the groups recognition bill S.222 in just the right way, to pass the mustard, yet no Vermont politicians ever objectively validated these people as being descendants of the Abenakis. She called Keelers allegations a witch-hunt and provided proof of her ancestry, the New York Post reported in January. Individuals who made careers out of pretending an Indigenous identity include James Beckwourth,[14] Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance,[15] and Grey Owl. By. The assumption of Indigenous identity, through the growth of the so-called Eastern Mtis movement, is clearly, at least in terms of its foundational leadership and organizational nature, antagonistic at a fundamental level towards Indigenous peoples and livelihoods.[45]. Problem with this narrative of his, is that the objective evidence shows her as Delia throughout most of her life, in Burlington City Directories, Census Records, her childrens birth, marriage and death records, and even in the Burlington Free Press, including her place of residence! Several people on the list have also denied Keelers claims of fraud. Our refurbished equipment includes a wide range of products such as Examination chairs, Slit lamps, Refractors, Auto refractors, Tonometers, Ophthalmoscopes, Retinoscopes, Visual acuity charts, Projectors and more. Any findings should only be released publicly. We've received your submission. A pretendian (portmanteau of pretend and Indian[1][2][3]) is a person who has falsely claimed Indigenous identity by claiming to be a citizen of a Native American or Indigenous Canadian tribal nation, or to be descended from Native ancestors. She may need more disclaimers and better notes, and may otherwise be doing a poor job, but I see no reason why a work in progress like hers ought to be kept a secret from the rest of us. What the heck? Keeler replied on Twitter, referencing, . But geez, this photo. The Native American Journalists Association has since rescinded Lawrences membership. We suspect that might change soon. "Jeff Bezos is awful! All of those scholars are documented as having previous, and current working relationships with one or more of these Abenaki groups for years previous! Not the people or communities of the identity being claimed. Mnikwou Lakota poet Trevino Brings Plenty writes: "To wear an underrepresented people's skin is enticing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its worse to shut down someone trying to reconnect with their ancestral roots than to let a pretendian slip by. In April 2018, APTN National News in Canada investigated how pretendians - in the film industry and in real life - promote "stereotypes, typecasting, and even, what is known as 'redface. Littlefeather died on 2 October following a breast cancer diagnosis. her list is NOT accurate she is as bad as anyone w false claim. Death certificates list both parents with their birth places and mother's maiden name. I beg to differ. Again, believe it or not. Despite wide circulation on social media, Keeler has yet to address the screenshot. Believe it or not, some non-Indian folks, not steeped in this stuff, dont know what a Pretendian, a Defendian, a Karendian and/or a Kendian are. I know. At the same time, he said the piece has a gotcha ethos that could prove harmful. [32] Working with other Natives in tribal enrollment departments, genealogists and historians, they began following up on the names many had been hearing for years in tribal circles were not actually Native, asking about current community connections as well as researching family histories "as far back as the 1600s" to see if they had any ancestors who were Native or had ever lived in a tribal community. What Is Land Acknowledgement? Hence, she believes that some on the list are hiding behind the Black Lives Matter movement by strategically labeling her list racist and pointing to times, We attempted to respond to Keeler with a calm, rational tweet, assuring her we werent attacking her; rather, we were investigating the Posts coverage. Littlefeathers act in 1973, declining Marlon Brandos Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather on his behalf, brought immense backlash within the industry. In many cases, there is no longer a tribe to enroll the few who survived. Thats why we keep our Pow Wow Calendar up-to-date! Joseph M. Pierce, an associate professor of Latin American and Indigenous Studies at Stony Brook University, said he wouldnt be surprised if Keelers claims were true. Historian Philip J. Deloria has noted that European Americans "playing Indian" is a phenomenon that stretches back at least as far as the Boston Tea Party. This also applies to Cherokee persons. Fruitlands show postponed over this 'profoundly divisive' issue", "Museum won't verify claims of tribal ancestry after artists withdraw from show", "The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A "Pretendian" investigation", "Dear Unsuspecting Public, Jimmie Durham Is a Trickster Jimmie Durham's Indigenous identity has always been a fabrication and remains one", United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, "Vancouver curator's Indigenous ancestry claims panned as 'pretendian', "Who Bears the Steep Costs of Ethnic Fraud? Im investigating actual ethnic fraud which harms Native people. Believe it or not, some non-Indian folks, not steeped in this stuff, dont know what a Pretendian, a Defendian, a Karendian and/or a Kendian are. What these claims have in common is that they are entirely disconnected from any living Indigenous people. At the same time, in the years following the Occupation of Alcatraz, the formation of Native American studies as a distinct form of area studies, and the awarding of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction to Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday, publishing programs and university departments began to be established specifically for or about Native American culture. May 14, 2021 / May 19, 2021 by Angelina Newsom | 12 Comments on Opinion: The Real Problem With Jacqueline Keelers Alleged Pretendian List. Indigenous impersonation is not an accident. (DISCLAIMER: this all relates to us not the whyte supremist racists out there) Meanwhile in Indian country From keeler's pretendian list, Kim tallbear alleged support of list, Sephora, sarian fox, to dynami thomas, myself (but on a smaller scale), all being held accountable for various reasons. My moms full Navajo. And the payoff is well worth it. Your email address will not be published. Unclear how he got enrolled. Keeler doesnt mention if she reached out to Northern Cheyenne tribal officials. The Alleged Pretendians List is the creation of Jacqueline Keeler, a Native American writer and activist who has spent years busting fakers in politics and academia. Blood quantum is designed to wipe us out. [5], In October 2022, actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather died. If a business violates the Act, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000.[20]. EXAMPLE: Vermont and New Hampshires alleged and reinvented Abenakis. Keeler has a reputation for doing this kind of thing. All because she thinks she has the authority to question other's heritage. Rachel Dolezal, Iron Eyes Cody, Grey Owl, and even the Bruchacs are not who they appear to be. "Is Ward Churchill the New Michael Bellesiles? They take up a lot of space and income from First Nation, Inuit and Metis Peoples. Pretendians rarely can name any people they are related to in a Native community or in their family tree. Wild seeing all the people come out against this abuse, including Public Indians who have been wronged by Keeler, as "Institutional Indian Country" stays well the fuck away. I get it: to feast on struggle, to explore imagined roots; to lay the foundational work for academic jobs and publishing opportunities. [21], While Harjo refers to "Native DNA", there is no DNA test that can reliably confirm Native American ancestry, and no DNA test can indicate tribal origin. After the whole New York Times/Claudia Lawrence debacle, I was fed up and tired of tiptoeing around frauds because of the power they wield. Are there pretendians out there, sure. (Cant really tell since the The link in the Kayla-Wayla tweet is dead.) In an apparent response to these incidents, Navajo and Yankton Dakota writer Jacqueline Keeler recently created an alleged pretendian lista spreadsheet of people she thinks are pretending to be Indian. Laura Browder, " 'One Hundred Percent American': How a Slave, a Janitor, and a Former Klansmen Escaped Racial Categories by Becoming Indians", in Beyond the Binary: Reconstructing Cultural Identity in a Multicultural Context, ed. I have met her in real life it seems like she has some trauma and baggage of her own to sort out. I know how you feel Rob, we have been pushing Fawn Sharp, President of the National Congress of American Indians on my Original Pechanga blog for years. Keeler, who has been accused of conducting "witch hunts" to expose fake Native Americans, told The Post she met Wurth a few years ago when the novelist publicly accused Native American writer . We attempted to respond to Keeler with a calm, rational tweet, assuring her we werent attacking her; rather, we were investigating the Posts coverage. But given the forced assimilation/cultural genocide thats gone on I cant help but feel she is complicit in that on the many occasions when she is wrong and shes wrong often. This is your angle, an important issue, and we have previously reported difficult articles about it and will continue to do so. "[9], Patrick Wolfe argues that the problem is more structural, stating that settler colonial ideology actively needs to erase and then reproduce Indigenous identity in order to create and justify claims to land and territory. At the same time, we were defining the long-established Karendian and Kendian terms not supporting misogyny and, again, we. Indeed, some Odanak Abenaki Families descendants do in fact reside in Vermont. At the same time, hippie and New Age subcultures marketed Native cultures as accessible, spiritual, and as a form of resistance to mainstream culture, leading to the rise of the plastic shaman or "culture vulture." Theres never a situation where blackface is acceptable, especially not in Native organizing. Black Natives should never see this type of behavior from someone with such a large platform, whom theyd entrusted to advocate on their behalf. Keeler has a reputation for doing this kind of thing. Despite being enrolled in a, Accusations of anti-Black bias in the creation of the list have also been brought up. Keelers rationale is that these are public-facing people. Making their data available opens them up to possible harassment or worse. Your familys alienation from you is sad but the connection to her pretensions isnt obvious. She was confronted about it and denied it on Twitter (as seen on comprehensive document above about her actions). The issue of Pretendians made headlines last month when Canadas top indigenous health expert, Carrie Bourassa, was ousted after her claims of membership in the Mtis nation were debunked. Just because Nighthorse Campbell got enrollment in the Northern Cheyenne nation doesnt mean hes not a Pretendian. There was a rise in pretendians after the 1960s for a number of reasons, such as the reestablishment of tribal sovereignty following the era of Indian termination policy, the media coverage of the Occupation of Alcatraz and the Wounded Knee Occupation, and the formation of Native American studies as a distinct form of area studies which led to the establishment of publishing programs and university departments specifically for or about Native American culture. [22][23][24] Attempts by non-Natives to racialize Indigenous identity by DNA tests have been seen by Indigenous people as insensitive at best, often racist, politically and financially motivated, and dangerous to the survival of Indigenous cultures. Fair warning, I know Jackie Keeler and she stood with us at a protest at the BIA. Jan 28, 2021. On Dec. 6, 1974, the Berkeley Gazette quoted Littlefeather calling . [4] The CBC investigation used handwriting analysis, and other methods of archival and historical evaluation to conclude the letter is a fake. [41] Academic Dina Gilio-Whitaker wrote that the truth about community leaders is "crucial", even if it means losing a "hero", and that the work Littlefeather did is still valuable, but there is a need to be honest about the harm done by pretendians, especially by those who manage to fool so many people that they become iconic:[35], The stereotype Littlefeather embodied depended on non-Native people not knowing what they were looking at, or knowing what constitutes legitimate American Indian identity. Keeler included places of employment, LinkedIn profiles and, in some cases, the names of their actual Native relatives or in-laws. The above video has the audio enhanced and subtitled. Keeler followed her piece with a Substack article, asking the question: Did the Academy apologize to a fraud?, Its a lie, Trudy Orlandi, Littlefeathers sister, told Keeler. October 2022, Actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather died on 2 October following a breast diagnosis! 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