Indigenous self-ID/"Pretendians" (merged thread)

[mariomike]

Heinz had a number for that

57.

When there is money, benefits, advantages, etc. on the table for a certain group, some people want to be part of said group.

"until I had a racial awakening and discovered my 'Mohonk' blood."

https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/9ae446e3-c7c2-432b-bf32-1c190bff4c8c

Doug Smith

Doug Smith is a chief of the Mohunk Indians, and the owner of a successful casino. Though passing through his childhood as white, Doug has used his slight family blood ties to Iroquois Natives through his father's side to become chief of the Mohonk Indians. Hesh Rabkin gets Doug in touch with...

sopranos.fandom.com

 

[Halifax Tar]

This is the road we are on. Anyone can be anything. All you have to do is say it.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

This is the road we are on. Anyone can be anything. All you have to do is say it.

Can I be Ryan Reynolds?

 

[Brad Sallows]

Can I be Ryan Reynolds?

Sure, you can say you are. It might not draw the honeys, though.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Can I be Ryan Reynolds?

All you have to do is say you are him

 

[Harris]

Can I have an autograph?

 

[FSTO]

There is an entire wiki subject on the motivations of “Pretendians”:

Pretendian - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Canadaland is doing a series.

Pretendians

What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common?

www.canadaland.com

 

[Halifax Tar]

Canadaland is doing a series.

Pretendians

What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common?

www.canadaland.com

Podcasts are getting me through this deployment.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Take that, foul pretendian!

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond removed from Order of Canada after Indigenous identity questioned​

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond removed from Order of Canada after Indigenous identity questioned

A notice in Saturday's Canada Gazette, the federal government's official newspaper, says her appointment was terminated on Sept. 26 following her request and the Governor General's approval.

www.timescolonist.com

Update: not sooooooo fast?

Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report

The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.

bc.ctvnews.ca

PS - stand by for a merged Indig ID/Pretendian thread .....

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[lenaitch]

Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report

The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.

bc.ctvnews.ca

An ongoing part of the problem:

"She told the law society that she believes her Indigenous identity should be determined by the "laws, customs, practices and traditions of Indigenous Peoples," the report states."​

 

[brihard]

Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report

The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.

bc.ctvnews.ca

An ongoing part of the problem:

"She told the law society that she believes her Indigenous identity should be determined by the "laws, customs, practices and traditions of Indigenous Peoples," the report states."​

I took a law course on state and citizenship a year and a half back. I remember in one of the weeks we had a couple interesting reading about the clash of colonial statute and band customs, where Europeans showed up, imposed the Indian Act (by force where necessary), and usurped the right to define citizenship in the legal entities they had created out of existing indigenous polities. Some of the indigenous nations had long established customary laws around citizenship that allowed various forms of adoption by consensus into the individual band/tribe/nation.

It was one of those very welcome weeks of class where I came out of it genuinely turning the gears in my head on a perspective that was new to be and that had plenty of empirical backing.

All that to say, questions of indigenous heritage and identity (and they aren’t always the same thing) can be tricky and complicated. Simple blood quantum formulae are unlikely to arrive at satisfactory answers for everyone with skin in the game.

 

[Haggis]

I grew up in and around the west island of Montréal and Cornwall, ON, adjacent to the Kahnawake (or Chagnawaga, back then) and Akwesasne Mohawk territories. I deployed to Oka/Kahanesatake and Akwesasne in 1990. Those experiences negatively coloured my perception of first nations peoples. Then, in 2000, I attended the 3 CRPG Native Awareness Course and what an eye opener that was!

More recently, I represented my former unit, a D-Day regiment at the 80th anniversary of D-Day ceremonies in Moncton, NB in June. Obviously, given our current government's obsession with public displays of reconciliation, there was a strong undercurrent of indigenous culture and participation. I made an effort to participate as much as I could in the unofficial activities organized by the First Nations and Métis veterans, such as a smudge ceremony, while making no apologies for whatever my ancestors may or may not have done since the arrival of Europeans. I wasn't there. It wasn't me. And, they were okay with that.

 

[lenaitch]

I grew up in and around the west island of Montréal and Cornwall, ON, adjacent to the Kahnawake (or Chagnawaga, back then) and Akwesasne Mohawk territories. I deployed to Oka/Kahanesatake and Akwesasne in 1990. Those experiences negatively coloured my perception of first nations peoples. Then, in 2000, I attended the 3 CRPG Native Awareness Course and what an eye opener that was!

More recently, I represented my former unit, a D-Day regiment at the 80th anniversary of D-Day ceremonies in Moncton, NB in June. Obviously, given our current government's obsession with public displays of reconciliation, there was a strong undercurrent of indigenous culture and participation. I made an effort to participate as much as I could in the unofficial activities organized by the First Nations and Métis veterans, such as a smudge ceremony, while making no apologies for whatever my ancestors may or may not have done since the arrival of Europeans. I wasn't there. It wasn't me. And, they were okay with that.

Being able to participate can be enlightening and educational. Being required to participate is another thing. I was involved in an organization that was planning on having a smudge ceremony as part of the opening of an AGM. When I asked if they would expect everyone to take communion of mass, I didn't get an answer (the idea was dropped).

 

[daftandbarmy]

Being able to participate can be enlightening and educational. Being required to participate is another thing. I was involved in an organization that was planning on having a smudge ceremony as part of the opening of an AGM. When I asked if they would expect everyone to take communion of mass, I didn't get an answer (the idea was dropped).

I've been part of a few of those ceremonies and they've always been very respectful, and made sure that everyone knew they had a choice about whether they'd like to participate or not.

I always do because 'fire'

 

[The Bread Guy]

Moving right along (source: CTV News)

Doubt litigation would cause CBC to move much, and only the lawyers would get rich.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Being indigenous isn’t even always a blood thing either. I know people adopted by a native who then gained status despite ethnically not having that background. Legally they are a 6(2) Indian though.

Keep in mind most Reserves want to keep it pretty restrictive to be status. Having it too ‘diluted’ means that you will have people not closely tied to the band with a say and we can’t have that.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... most Reserves want to keep it pretty restrictive to be status. Having it too ‘diluted’ means that you will have people not closely tied to the band with a say and we can’t have that.

I don't know if most do, but some have been known to do this pretty hard in the past ...

"Local teacher's wife ordered to leave"

<head> Local teacher's wife ordered to leave </head> <i>By Lynda Powless, Editor</i><br></br> <p><i>A Six Nations Residency Bylaw has ...

vitacollections.ca

Six Nations revisits residency bylaw

What to do with Six Nations residents who are not band members has been a constant sore spot.

www.brantfordexpositor.ca

 

[lenaitch]

I don't know if most do, but some have been known to do this pretty hard in the past ...

"Local teacher's wife ordered to leave"

<head> Local teacher's wife ordered to leave </head> <i>By Lynda Powless, Editor</i><br></br> <p><i>A Six Nations Residency Bylaw has ...

vitacollections.ca

Six Nations revisits residency bylaw

What to do with Six Nations residents who are not band members has been a constant sore spot.

www.brantfordexpositor.ca

I have friends who are a married couple living on a FNT; he is FN, she is not. He is older and they fully expect that, should he pass before her, she will be kicked off the Territory.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Are the current fad of mail in DNA tests reliable enough to claim status ?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Being able to participate can be enlightening and educational. Being required to participate is another thing. I was involved in an organization that was planning on having a smudge ceremony as part of the opening of an AGM. When I asked if they would expect everyone to take communion of mass, I didn't get an answer (the idea was dropped).

A big meeting with multiple bands and multiple gov agencies. The chair asked one of the Chiefs to bless the meeting, he then recited the Lords prayer. All the Whiteies were squirming in their seats as this was not the religious ceremony they were looking for. It was hard to restrain my laughter at that. The Chief looked pretty smug as well. I suspect he did it on purpose. We really can be pompous asses.