Identity problems - the pretendian

By Kaniehtonkie’

‘Pretendian’, a label for a person who dishonestly claims to be of Native American, First Nation, Indigenous ancestry. Or were they deceiving and intentional? In the recent wake of Michelle Latimer’s identity crisis, First Nation filmmakers in Canada are pushing for new legislation to penalize people who falsely claim a heritage not their own.

Latimer was the writer and director of the successful, but now canceled series, ‘Trickster’.

In December, Ka’nhehsí:io Deer and Jorge Barrera wrote an investigative article for CBC News questioning her claim. Barrera talked to several elders in Kitigan Zibi and discovered she had no familial ties there. Also working on Latimer heritage was Dominique Ritchot, a genealogist and researcher with an expertise in French-Canadian families. She reconstructed Latimer’s genealogy independently finding two Indigenous ancestors, Marguerite Pigarouiche and Euphrosine-Madeleine Nicole dating as far back to the 17th century.

Resulting in a statement from Ritchot saying, “Most of her ancestors were quite easily identifiable as French Canadians, Irish, Scottish”.

CBC New broke the story and since then APTN, Indian Country Today and numerous journalist have all run podcasts, articles and editorials on pretendians.

On an Indian Country Today podcast, Jeff Bear, a seasoned journalist said, “This has a long history in our country going back to the creative arts. We have a fellow named Joseph Boyden who has written some successful books. He was the star of the Canadian mainstream media for many years as a spokesman. He even appeared in front of the Truth and Reconciliation commission, our examination of residential schools here. And he basically claimed to be Métis but he couldn’t identify that more than the word Métis and he was outed by the literary community.”

He added, “They were quite upset that he took the identity and basically really loved the spotlight. He danced in front of the cameras and he basically appeared in radio shows, television, magazines, newspapers… and the fallout was incredible, because he took a big fall when he couldn’t prove his identity… This is not unlike the situation in America where Ward Churchill falsely claimed to be of Native ancestry.”

Jacqueline Keeler, Diné/Ihanktonwan Dakota and editor-in-chief of Pollen Nation Magazine and Edge of Morning has spent a considerable amount of time researching and writing on ‘pretendians’. Keeler has complied a comprehensive list of over one hundred and thirty people alleging to be of Native American/First Nation ancestry. The list includes their alleged claimed tribe/nation affiliation, institution, organization, field of work, position, title, associates, links, publications, articles, genealogical research and comments.

Keeler was featured on an APTN podcast.

Many think pretending to be someone you’re not, should be considered a crime and legislation should be created and labeled as fraud – a crime to take away a job from Indigenous writers, actors, directors, etc.’ It takes away salaries, grants, funding and other valuable resources. Interesting enough, most alleged pretendians work in academia – as professors, lecturers, instructors. The second field is the film industry. Others think legislation is falling into the hands of the colonizers.

Every hear of Alex Baldwin? His wife claimed to be of Spanish descent. As it turned out, she regularly vacationed in Spain. Pretending affects Indigenous people in the north and Hispanic, Black and Latin people in the south.

Bear went on to say, It always comes down to the Metis. We have no problem identifying ourselves to a community, a clan affiliation, elder who know who you are. Those of us who have the ‘lived’ experience. They check the box, and they get in.

Pretendian is not a new phenomenon, one person said, ‘They have taken everything they can from us, our language, our children, now our identity.’