I take issue with While faking Indigenous American identity for positions of prestige is a problem, sovereign tribes and nations should be leading investigations into citizenship claims. A pretendian 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. 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. ", "Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has Cherokee roots, but the records don't back that up", "Warren suggests 'American Indian' might appear on other documents", "Cherokee Nation responds to Senator Warren's DNA test", "Report: Elizabeth Warren Identified as American Indian in Texas Bar Registration", "Elizabeth Warren apologizes for calling herself Native American", "Elizabeth Warren apologizes for identifying as Native American on Texas bar registration card", "Birth certificate contradicts Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's account of her father's parentage and ancestry", "Should museums verify claims of Indigenous ancestry? By claiming indigeneity without the recognition of Native nations, pretendians undermine a core tenant of tribal sovereignty: the ability for tribes to determine citizenship. 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 . [4] The CBC investigation used handwriting analysis, and other methods of archival and historical evaluation to conclude the letter is a fake. '"[30] 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. You all are every daily standing on the core. Screenshots and links. Sacheen Littlefeathers image has lived in infamy after she took the stage at the 1973 Oscars to speak on the mistreatment of Native American people in the film industry. (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. "They are attacking . The Google doc can be viewed by requesting access with an email address. [25][a], While Indigenous communities have always self-policed and spread word of frauds, mainstream media and arts communities were often unaware, or did not act upon this information, until more recent decades. She was 75. Death certificates list both parents with their birth places and mother's maiden name. As a practice, being a pretendian is considered an extreme form of cultural . The Vermont Eugenics Records NEVER once mentioned in the 40+ boxes of materials the word Abenaki for any of his or any other family (including my ancestors, the Wood(w)ards, nor their lateral line relatives, the Ways, Sweetsers, etc. Any findings should only be released publicly after they have been determined. One way is to spread hate like . She's a very thoughtful person. Under one name is a note attached, Unable to ascertain truth of claim due to adoption. Yet, the individual remains on the list as an alleged pretendian.. Its a little disappointing to me how people can take delight in this, he said. Yeah, Fake Race Fraud Claims to sell podcasts and books are also Race Fraud. 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." [38] Bourassa was placed on immediate leave from her post at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research after her claims of Indigenous ancestry were found to be baseless.[39]. I know. My dad is 5/8ths Yankton Dakota, but they had to choose a tribe, she told critics in March. You might be a pretendian if you've legally changed your name from "Weissvogel" to "White Eagle Soaring." You might be a pretendian if you burn to a crisp in ten minutes of strong moonlight. [34] She says the list is the product of decades of Native peoples' efforts at accountability. Individuals who have been accused of being a pretendian include: History of false claims to Indigenous identity, Post-1960s: Rise of pretendians in academia, arts and political positions. Its not that hard to see why the Northern Cheyenne might want a Senator in the tribe even if he doesnt have the right ancestry. At the same time, we were defining the long-established Karendian and Kendian terms not supporting misogyny and, again, we do believe this issue is of utmost importance, as we said in the original post. The sisters also assert that Littlefeather's stories about their violent and impoverished upbringing were also patently false. Theres so many things hurting our communities, and theres so many beautiful things to celebrate, and her witch hunt sucks up all the oxygen, she added. She called Keelers allegations a witch-hunt and provided proof of her ancestry, the New York Post reported in January. Sacheen's estranged sister (the source) - Jackie Keeler has had this "Pretendian List" circulating for a while with a lot of the people on it being harassed by clout chasing white people who want to be Native Adjacent. [47], Why do they do it? At the same time, he said the piece has a gotcha ethos that could prove harmful. [5], In October 2022, actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather died. Theres never a situation where blackface is acceptable, especially not in Native organizing. Among famous names like Johnny Depp and . Writer Jacqueline Keeler, who rose in infamy herself after publishing a list of people she claimed where Pretendians in 2021, claims Littlefeather wasnt Native, and is backed by some of the actress and activists estranged sisters. Again, (Keeler is referring here, we think, in a roundabout way to people with a combination of Black and Native ancestry/heritage who have felt attacked by, . As for Jacqueline Keeler, I haven't interacted with her in real life as you have, but in this case she reacted the way a number of people over many years have said she has to other situations in the past. Keeler has a reputation for doing this kind of thing. At the same time, we were defining the long-established Karendian and Kendian terms not supporting misogyny and, again, we. They take up a lot of space and income from First Nation, Inuit and Metis Peoples. 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. ", "I Knew Rachel Dolezal Back When She Was Indigenous", The Native roots of the bizarre Rachel Dolezal drama, "Race of Rachel Dolezal, head of Spokane NAACP, comes under question", "Read the NAACP's Full Statement on Rachel Dolezal", "Dartmouth Removes New Native American Head Amid Ethnicity Questions: Tribes accused Susan Taffe Reed of misrepresenting herself as American Indian", "Dartmouth criticized for Native American Studies hire", "Four Words for Andrea Smith: 'I'm Not an Indian', "Tribes Blast 'Wannabe' Native American Professor", "Rachel Dolezal Outs Andrea Smith Again; Will Anybody Listen This Time? "[4], In October 2021, the CBC published an investigation into the status of Canadian academic Carrie Bourassa, who works as an Indigenous health expert and has claimed Mtis, Anishinaabe and Tlingit status. [The piece] tries to make black and white things that actually have nuance.. Why Are Land Acknowledgements Important? We become a spectacle for those who at best think of us as a Halloween costume idea. "Everyone on this list . My pop was entirely adopted by the Bay deNoc Ojibwa. Theres never a situation where blackface is acceptable, especially not in Native organizing. Were on the list that apparently matters. @jfkeeler. The crux of the article is as follows: Cruz' sisters deny that . Keelers list is controversial within native communities as well. On Dec. 6, 1974, the Berkeley Gazette quoted Littlefeather calling . We were written off, no more dialogue to be had, and our thoughts on the Posts coverage were apparently just plain stupid, not worthy of a response (no matter that we repeat, again, that Fox News has been caught doing this very thing in the past in an attempt to undermine people it disagrees with). ), Keeler concluded, Especially since the vast majority on the Alleged Pretendians list are White Americans playing Indian for profit? her list is NOT accurate she is as bad as anyone w false claim. 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. So how was she hiding from the Eugenics Survey in the 1920s and 30s, when all they had to do was walk up to her doorstep and knock, after reading the Burlington Free Press whenever her children were announced to have been born to the couple in that newspaper?! Your email address will not be published. While Jon Levine, the reporter of the Post piece, emailed back to say he grabbed the picture in question from Keelers Instagram, and he later tweeted as much, Keeler went a different routeone that we had been told in advance she might. Because what appears to be real, may not be the reality after all, especially when in comes to dealing with the Abenakis of the Northeast. https://wapo.st/3zCUpau. No public retraction or apology was made for this huge oversight. (20 years to "get the records straight). Early false claims to Indigenous identity, often called "playing Indian", go back at least as far as the Boston Tea Party. Dartmouths assistant undergraduate dean, Susan Taffe Reed, is named. In a statement to CBC News, the chief and council of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation say that those they are seeking to remove "are fraudulently taking up Indigenous spaces in high academia and procurement opportunities. 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. Shortly thereafter her sisters spoke to Navajo reporter Jacqueline Keeler and said that their family has no ties to the Apache or Yaqui tribes Sacheen had claimed. A CBC investigation that cast doubt on the authenticity of a letter which has enabled more than 1,000 people to claim Indigenous ancestry is reinvigorating efforts to remove so-called. What is being done requires deep research, not gut feel. Not some random journalist who wants to speak for all Indigenous peoples. This is something that has been bothering me with Keeler's list. Let us focus on unity and building bridges! The above video has the audio enhanced and subtitled. No, because the method is flawed. . I'll just hold off my judgment till more comes out. Its worse to shut down someone trying to reconnect with their ancestral roots than to let a pretendian slip by. Your joke in protest, they say they are hungry for more ? records were people who ALREADY incarcerated in institutions previous to the Eugenics Survey, as the Childrens Aid Society had been documenting child of impoverished homes, truancy cases, and abusive homes across both states, and Harriet E. Abbott, came from that organization (as did others) and later became agents of the Eugenics Movement. (Cant really tell since the The link in the Kayla-Wayla tweet is dead.) Early life. Blood quantum is designed to wipe us out. 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. 100% Genuine Mtis writer and pretend lawyer. Creating an alleged pretendian list of possible offenders with incomplete research, possible bias and implication of actual Natives alongside alleged pretensions isnt safe for Indian Country nor should it be the standard. It is so difficult to hold one another accountable these days. And in her defense, one PECHANGA educator, she checked out, not enrolled, IS Pechanga by blood/birth her parents died without getting her enrolled, and now is caught in Pechanga's moratorium. The conversation apparently took place during organizing action against Native mascots in sports. Get quality preowned and refurbished ophthalmic equipment Save thousands over new equipment when you can get the same quality and . jacqueline keeler is a known racist and xenophobe (just google "Opinion: The Real Problem With Jacqueline Keeler's 'Alleged Pretendian' List" there's an article that links an entire google doc of the racist shit she's done over the years and . Several people on the list have also denied Keelers claims of fraud. kilometres of land". Rachel Dolezal, Iron Eyes Cody, Grey Owl, and even the Bruchacs are not who they appear to be. Everyone on this list has made public claims through interviews, in books authored, documentaries, and even in Congressional testimony. Then questions arose about her identity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The strongest rule of white culture is to speak when spoken to. Pretendianism is particularly prevalent in entertainment, publishing and academia. Writer Jacqueline Keeler, whose own controversial history includes publishing a list of people she named "Pretendians" in 2021, said she interviewed Littlefeather's younger sisters, who claimed that Littlefeather lied about her ancestry to advance her career. 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. She was confronted about it and denied it on Twitter (as seen on comprehensive document above about her actions). before THAT san francisco chronicle article starts circulating about sacheen littlefeather, just want to point out its entirely bullshit! [38] Research into her claims indicated that her ancestry is wholly European. The Alleged Pretendians List is the creation of Jacqueline Keeler (inset), a Native American writer and activist who has spent years busting fakers in politics and . By. Keeler said the list was a collaboration of many researchers, journalists and activists, but that she had been the one to compile those efforts into a single place. Arer you saying your uncle wouldnt have married her if she werent a Fauxcahontas? Under one name is a note attached, Unable to ascertain truth of claim due to adoption. Yet, the individual remains on the list as an alleged pretendian., Keeler also added former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell to the list, despite his enrollment in the Northern Cheyenne nation with a note attached, No Cheyenne ancestry. https://t.co/pW3Uwb8xdc, Kayla-Wayla (@KaylaWayla20) May 2, 2021. Survivor of pretendian pandemic. 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. Nadema Agard, a New York City visual artist who claims Lakota, Cherokee, and Powhatan ancestry, is named. Great comment, Bryce. Agard denied faking her ancestry and called the allegations from Keeler a witch-hunt, and sent her own slew of documents which she said backed up her claim. In response to an Indigenous Wire item yesterday about the way the New York Post treated a picture of writer and activist Jacqueline Keeler in its coverage of the Pretendian/Karendian/Defendian Native identity and ethnic fraud controversy, Keeler shot the messenger in this case, yours truly. [43], Academics Kim TallBear (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville), Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation), Rowland Robinson (Menominee), as well as journalist Jacqueline Keeler (Navajo Nation) and attorney Jean Teillet (great-grandniece of Louis Riel) also name white supremacy, in addition to ongoing settler colonialism, as core factors in the phenomenon. My moms full Navajo. [32] Academic Kim TallBear writes that all those mentioned on the list are public figures who have profited from their alleged Indigenous status, that Keelers and her teams list documents that the overwhelming number of those who benefit financially from pretendianism are white, and that these false claims are related to white supremacy and Indigenous erasure. Lawrence is on the list. As Verity said, the family is very well documented. Today, the Nulhegan groups leader, Don Stevens has hijacked a 1796 Deed in northern Vermont and New Hampshire, ratified by Louis Metallic in the 1830s, implying that his ancestor Peter Phillips Sr. (1832-1906) and his ancestors were Abenakis connected to that Deed. Saturdays article in The Chronicle spurred backlash from many Native American people. Jacqueline Keeler. Native ancestor, claiming to be Abenakis from and of VT (or NH). 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