{"id":19051,"date":"2021-12-13T00:02:08","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T05:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=19051"},"modified":"2021-12-13T00:12:51","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T05:12:51","slug":"the-conversation-native-nations-are-the-experts-on-citizenship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/13\/the-conversation-native-nations-are-the-experts-on-citizenship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Conversation: Native nations are the experts on citizenship"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/13\/the-conversation-native-nations-are-the-experts-on-citizenship\/greyowl\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19055\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"806\" data-attachment-id=\"19055\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/13\/the-conversation-native-nations-are-the-experts-on-citizenship\/greyowl\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13\/GreyOwl.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,806\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Grey Owl\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Grey Owl was an original \u2018pretendian,\u2019 portraying himself as the the son of a Scottish man and Apache woman after moving to Canada in the early 1900s. (Canadian National Railways\/Library and Archives Canada, e010861684)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13\/GreyOwl.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13\/GreyOwl.jpg\" alt=\"Grey Owl\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-19055\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Grey Owl was one of the original \u2018Pretendians,\u2019 portraying himself as the the son of a Scottish man and Apache woman after moving to Canada in the early 1900s. Photo: <a href=http:\/\/central.bac-lac.gc.ca\/.redirect?app=fonandcol&#038;id=3348587&#038;lang=eng>Canadian National Railways \/ Library and Archives Canada, e010861684<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Fraudulent claims of indigeneity: Indigenous nations are the identity\u00a0experts<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, December 13, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/cheryl-simon-1286841\">Cheryl Simon<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/dalhousie-university-1329\">Dalhousie University<\/a>)\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">The Conversation<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\">theconversation.com<\/A><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThere is a growing movement to identify and call-out people who have fraudulently held positions by claiming indigeneity like <a href=\"https:\/\/vancouversun.com\/news\/vancouver-curator-outed-as-pretendian-resigns-from-sfu-galleries\">Cheyanne Turions<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aptnnews.ca\/national-news\/author-joseph-boydens-shape-shifting-indigenous-identity\/\">Joseph Boyden<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/indigenous\/michelle-latimer-kitigan-zibi-indigenous-identity-1.5845310\">Michelle Latimer<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2021\/nov\/02\/canadian-academic-on-leave-amid-row-over-indigenous-ancestry-claims\">Carrie Bourassa<\/a>. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe fraudulent claims of indigeneity are so widespread that the term \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aptnnews.ca\/infocus\/pretendians-and-what-to-do-with-people-who-falsely-say-theyre-indigenous-put-infocus\/\">pretendians<\/a>\u201d has become part of regular vocabulary. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nOn the surface, this seems to align with the interests of Indigenous Peoples, but with the call-outs come underlying components of colonialism. Namely, that Indigenous nations are not being recognized as the authorities when determining indigeneity. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" height=\"200px\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https:\/\/player.simplecast.com\/0852759a-64d4-486d-b2a2-f03218246133?dark=false\"><\/iframe>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Don\u2019t Call Me Resilient Podcast on The Conversation: <a href=https:\/\/theconversation.com\/stolen-identities-what-does-it-mean-to-be-indigenous-dont-call-me-resilient-podcast-ep-8-166248>  Stolen identities: What does it mean to be Indigenous?<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Genealogy as the only factor<\/div>\r\n\r\nThose quick to call-out are often not clamouring for Indigenous nations\u2019 jurisdiction over citizenship, nor are they demanding \u201cpretendians\u201d be held accountable to Indigenous nations.  <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nInstead, people like non-Indigenous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/newfoundland-labrador\/nunatukavut-community-council-responds-itk-letter-inuit-1.6228193\">genealogists are being held out as \u201cexperts<\/a>\u201d on what does or doesn\u2019t make a person Indigenous. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe result of having genealogy as the only factor is that the dialogue is not centred on Indigenous people as socio-political groups, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/codeswitch\/2018\/02\/09\/583987261\/so-what-exactly-is-blood-quantum\">but racial purity<\/a> which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/indigenous\/josiah-wilson-indian-act-hereditary-governance-1.3668636\">perpetuates colonial stereotypes of Indigenous identity<\/a>. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nUnderstanding what makes a person Indigenous is complex. There are the obvious sources of indigeneity, such as kinship and receiving cultural teachings from Elders and knowledge keepers, that are established at birth and strengthen throughout a person\u2019s life. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nOther customs and traditions include adoption of non-Indigenous people by Indigenous families. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canlii.org\/en\/bc\/bcca\/doc\/1993\/1993canlii1258\/1993canlii1258.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAUYWJvcmlnaW5hbCBhZG9wdGlvbiAAAAAAAQ&amp;resultIndex=3\">Adoption is a long-recognized practice across many nations<\/a> that has resulted the adoptees learning the language, cultural teachings and values necessary to be a part of that nation. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nWhether an adoption is valid is an issue for the nation into which the person has been adopted in to decide. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThere are also examples of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/news\/politics\/non-indigenous-cousin-in-fort-william-gets-full-first-nation-membership\/article34558143\">communities who have granted non-Indigenous people full membership<\/a>, based on criteria that the First Nation has established. Fort Williams First Nation in Ontario made Damien Lee a full member, which means he is entitled to vote in elections, run for office and to benefits provided by the First Nation. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nHe grew up on reserve, and while he is non-Indigenous and therefore does not have status according to the Indian Act, the First Nation has exercised its legal jurisdiction over identity and recognized him as a member.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe critical question at the heart of this issue is how to distinguish between fraudulent claims and legitimate ones. The answer lies with the nations. <p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Jurisdiction as a human right<\/div>\r\n\r\nAs self-governing nations with <a href=\"https:\/\/indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca\/aboriginal_rights\/\">constitutionally recognized Aboriginal rights<\/a>, Indigenous people should be the only authority when determining who is part of their nations. It should be based on their own criteria, as it was before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca\/en\/article\/indian-act\">imposition of the Indian Act<\/a>. And nations should have the jurisdiction to enforce the laws they develop. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nWith that in mind, Article 33.1 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/development\/desa\/indigenouspeoples\/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html\">United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)<\/a> recognizes that \u201cIndigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity or membership in accordance with their own customs and traditions.\u201d <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nNow that Canada has passed <a href=\"https:\/\/laws-lois.justice.gc.ca\/eng\/acts\/u-2.2\/FullText.html\">legislation setting out a framework for implementing UNDRIP<\/a>, Indigenous nations need to be recognized as the authority for determining who is Indigenous. UNDRIP does not automatically remove Canadian authority over identity, so the government will need to take action to ensure existing legislation recognizes Indigenous jurisdiction in this area. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nBoth the Canadian government and non-Indigenous experts need to relinquish the authority they have assumed. A failure to do so will continue the discrimination and systemic violence faced by Indigenous people.  <p><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_youtu-be\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GojYBpiMXdM\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/07\/maxresdefault-397.jpg\" alt=\"Pretendians and Their Impact on Metis Identity in the Academy\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GojYBpiMXdM\">\n\t\t\tPretendians and Their Impact on Metis Identity in the Academy\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GojYBpiMXdM\">\n\t\t\t<p>Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/s\/desktop\/01aaffea\/img\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"YouTube\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tYouTube\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Department of Indigenous Studies at University of Saskatchewan: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/GojYBpiMXdM>Pretendians and Their Impact on Metis Identity in the Academy<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption><p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Assimilative policies<\/div>\r\n\r\nSince Confederation, Canada\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/caid.ca\/Dassimilation_policy.html\">assimilative policies<\/a> have actively worked to strip Indigenous Peoples of their identity and deny Indigenous jurisdiction. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe federal government has dictated who is an \u201cIndian\u201d through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sac-isc.gc.ca\/eng\/1100100032463\/1572459644986#chp4\">status definition in the Indian Act<\/a> and recognizes \u201cthe Indian Registrar [as] the only authority under the Indian Act who can determine a person\u2019s eligibility for Indian status.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThese policies are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/indigenous\/indian-act-sex-discrimination-un-committee-1.4982330\">discriminatory<\/a> and have led to the denial of indigeneity based on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/knowyourrights\/Indian%20status%20slides.pdf\">blood quantum<\/a> and other arbitrary criteria such as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.caid.ca\/GraCivAct1857.pdf\">marriage, university education or joined holy orders<\/a> to the forceful removal of Indigenous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/toronto\/ontario-ends-birth-alerts-1.5648940\">children from their families<\/a> into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/cbcdocspov\/features\/the-sixties-scoop-explained\">non-Indigenous homes<\/a> and residential and <a href=\"https:\/\/irshdc.ubc.ca\/learn\/indian-residential-schools\/indian-day-schools\/\">day schools<\/a>.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe result is thousands of Indigenous Peoples being traumatized by not knowing who their families or communities are, making it extremely difficult to reconnect. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe funding policies of the federal government \u2014 whereby resources and service delivery are concentrated to status Indians living on-reserve \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca\/research\/publications\/policy-brief\/the-grim-reality-of-canadas-biggest-policy-failure.php\">serve to create and maintain a scarcity mentality<\/a> that reinforces colonial approaches to identity and undermines <a href=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/magazines\/june-2021\/indigenous-self-government-in-yukon-holds-lessons-for-all-of-canada\/\">self-governance<\/a>. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nIf the current trend continues, whereby individuals\u2019 claims to indigeneity are going to be interrogated by non-Indigenous people, based on criteria established by non-Indigenous perspectives, Indigenous Peoples are going to face even greater barriers in reconnecting with their families and communities, and decolonizing efforts will suffer.  <p><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nA better solution to the issue of fraudulent claims is to support Indigenous nations and their jurisdiction over identity. <p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThis approach aligns with the UNDRIP and supports the right to self-government. Indigenous nations have been the authority on who they are for thousands of years, it is time their jurisdiction over this be recognized.\r\n\r\n<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/171470\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>\r\n<span><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/cheryl-simon-1286841\">Cheryl Simon<\/a> is an Assistant Professor in Aboriginal and Indigenous Law at <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/dalhousie-university-1329\">Dalhousie University<\/a>. Prior to joining Schulich School of Law, Cheryl worked with a rights-implementation organization in New Brunswick and has taught classes on colonizing Mi&#8217;kmaw identity.<\/em><HR><p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThis article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fraudulent-claims-of-indigeneity-indigenous-nations-are-the-identity-experts-171470\">original article<\/a>.<p><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There is a growing movement to identify and call-out people who have fraudulently held positions by claiming indigeneity like Cheyanne Turions, Joseph Boyden, Michelle Latimer and Carrie Bourassa.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15,18],"tags":[2298,2299,2297,269,1119,2296,397,1118,2261,47,220,546,1582],"class_list":["post-19051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada","category-education","tag-carrie-bourassa","tag-cheryl-simon","tag-cheyenne-turions","tag-colonization","tag-fake-indians","tag-joseph-boyden","tag-jurisdiction","tag-michelle-latimer","tag-pretendians","tag-race","tag-sovereignty","tag-the-conversation","tag-undrip","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-4Xh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13\/GreyOwl.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}