Pretendian

Pretendian is a pejorative colloquialism for Indigenous identity fraud, that is, a non-Native person falsely and publicly claiming an Indigenous identity.^[1]^[2] It is a portmanteau of pretend and Indian.^[1]^[3]^[4]

In the United States, Indigenous identity fraud often involves an individual publicly claiming to be Native American, while in Canada this includes claiming a First Nation, to be Métis, or Inuit.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

As a practice, being a pretendian is considered an extreme form of cultural appropriation,^[9] especially if that individual then asserts that they can represent, and speak for, communities from which they do not originate.^[4]^[9]^[10]^[11]

This practice is sometimes included in ethnic fraud or "race shifting".^[12]^[13]

United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) writes:

We ... have had to contend with an onslaught of what we call 'Pretendians', that is, non-Indigenous people assuming a Native identity. DNA tests are setting up other problems involving those who discover Native DNA [sic] in their bloodline. When individuals assert themselves as Native when they are not culturally Indigenous, and if they do not understand their tribal nation's history or participate in their tribal nation's society, who benefits? Not the people or communities of the identity being claimed. It is hard to see this as anything other than an individual's capitalist claim, just another version of a colonial offense.^[14]

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'."^[15] Rebecca Nagle (Cherokee Nation) voiced a similar position in 2019, writing for High Country News that:

Pretendians perpetuate the myth that Native identity is determined by the individual, not the tribe or community, directly undermining tribal sovereignty and Native self-determination. To protect the rights of Indigenous people, pretendians like Wages and Warren must be challenged and the retelling of their false narratives must be stopped.^[16]

In January 2021, Navajo journalist Jacqueline Keeler began investigating the problem of settler self-indigenization in academia.^[19] 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.^[19] This research resulted in the "Alleged Pretendians List",^[20] of about 200 public figures in academia and entertainment, which Keeler self-published as a Google spreadsheet in 2021.^[21]

While some people have criticized her for "conducting a witch hunt", Native leaders interviewed by VOA, such as Chief Ben Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe, report Keeler has strong support in Native circles.^[19] Academic Dina Gilio-Whitaker, who reviewed Keeler's documentation on Sacheen Littlefeather before it was published, wrote that in her opinion Keeler did solid research.^[22] Keeler has stressed that the list does not include private citizens who are "merely wannabes", but only those public figures who are monetizing and profiting from their claims to tribal identity and who claim to speak for Native American tribes.^[21] She says the list is the product of decades of Native peoples' efforts at accountability.^[19]

Academic Kim TallBear writes that all those mentioned on the list are public figures who have profited from their alleged Indigenous status, that Keeler's and her team's list documents that the overwhelming number of those who benefit financially from pretendianism are white, and that these false claims relate to white supremacy and Indigenous erasure. Tallbear stresses that people who fabricate fraudulent claims are in no way the same as disconnected and reconnecting descendants who have real heritage, such as victims of government programs that scooped Indigenous children from their families.^[23]

Skeptics of the "Alleged Pretendians List" have contested statements about its reliability and countered by questioning the methodology and motivations of Keeler, in one case releasing a signed statement via Last Real Indians accusing her of exploiting the issue of Indigenous fraud - which they acknowledged "had long been a problem in Indian Country" - for her own personal agenda.^[24] Signees felt Keeler's methods were not an appropriate way to address the problem and instead argued Keeler was weaponizing "lateral violence, colonial trauma, and colonial recognition" against people she disagreed with or had prior disputes with. Keeler was also accused of promoting herself as a "self-appointed arbiter of Indian identity", with the statement eventually requesting that Keeler "respect the rights of every tribe, and urban inter-tribal communities to determine their own people, kin and citizenship".

Lakota journalist Alexandra Watson wrote in "Who made the Pretendian?" for NtvTwt.com that an article she'd written was used for reference without her consent.^[25] Noting that she was not a genealogist and that the information she'd originally posted was publicly available, Watson felt her writing shouldn't be used as an endorsement nor support of the List. Watson later questioned, after discussing the history of Pretendians and lack of accountability they had beyond an apology in most cases, whether the List truly effected change in a society with "fake Natives being hired and passed off as Natives in Hollywood today no matter how many websites or how many Natives might speak up." She did not dismiss the need for Pretendians to be exposed - noting she and other Native writers and sites did so - but distinguished her methodology by noting "there is a lot of information to consider and reasons not to support the person" and felt that the process used to form the Alleged Pretendians List needed to be reconsidered and planned beyond merely listing people.

Other journalists have echoed similar concerns about the "Alleged Pretendians List's" accuracy and effect on the sovereignty of tribes. Northern Cheyenne journalist Angelina Newsom wrote in an op-ed for Powwows.com that Keeler had questioned the enrollment of the Native politician Ben Nighthorse Campbell and included him in her research, despite Campbell being a member of the federally-recognized tribe.^[26] Newsom stated that it was unclear whether Keeler "reached out to Northern Cheyenne tribal officials" before making the decision and that at the time of writing, Newsom stated Keeler had not removed Campbell's name from the list. Newsom accused Keeler of lacking proper documentation, possible bias, as well as using Ancestry.com records in part of her research, and warned that the publishing of private information could also "negatively impact the actual Native folks listed as relatives and in-laws." Newsom argued in the closing of her article that tribes should be in charge of investigating citizenship claims, claiming that Keeler's method -which Newsom believed implicated people who were verifiably Native- wasn't "safe for Indian Country nor should it be the standard".

Métis author Chris La Tray, a member of the Little Shell Tribe, expressed his own thoughts about the debate after reportedly gaining access to the list, in an article published on the online publication Culture Study.^[27] Noting that he "felt greasy" after viewing it, La Tray mentioned it was unclear how individuals he recognized were selected, nor who had nominated them. La Tray nonetheless considered the list to be "McCarthyismish bullshit". He stated that "throwing a list of names out there for people to eyeball and gossip" was unproductive, calling the process unsubstantiated.

Related terms

The "Alleged Pretendians List"

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Wikiwand - on