Canadian author Joseph Boyden has come under scrutiny in for his unproven claims about his indigenous identity. Photo: Nina Charest
Is fighting over someone's Native identity worth it? Writer Terese Marie Mailhot (Seabird Island Band) believes indigenous people are the ones who end up losing in the debate:
There’s turmoil within the Native American literary community over who is playing Indian and who’s really Indian. The arguments mostly display our posturing, and seldom bring people closer together. When we debate who is Indian and who isn’t, we seem to be the only ones who lose. With Joseph Boyden, I saw some of the most intellectually profound and prolific writers weigh in and discuss the topic of his Native identity ad nauseam, and yet he’s still alive and well, on panels, receiving his residuals and honorariums. Taking him out of the circle didn’t create more space for indigenous authorship. Some white publishers, institutions, and government officials still prefer an ambiguous, safer-looking Indian to a “real” one. The one decent thing to come out of our discourse was that people were willing to talk about sovereignty and nationhood. What does it mean to be Indian anyway? I’m not sure. My current favorite authors aren’t enrolled. If there was a set criteria of Native identity, I’m not sure I’d pass the test. It would be hard to prove my identity, mostly because I’m too lazy to find documentation or evidence to ease a complete stranger’s peace of mind. I don’t move for anybody unless they’re paying me, or they’re my people.Read More on the Story:
Terese Mailhot: You Want Our Native Identity? Take It (Indian Country Media Network 4/23)
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