Native Identity, Actual Identity, Reality

Native Identity, Actual Identity, Reality

Being older myself, I can wholeheartedly identify with Dutchman Mr. Emile Ratelband who “actually” identifies as 49 years old instead of his “actual” 69 years of age. He’s quoted as saying, "we live in a time when you can change your name and change your gender. Why can't I decide my own age?” (BBC News, 2018). I can certainly understand this sentiment and in a sense, I truly agree with it however is it possible to identify with a younger age to be young at heart? Frank Sinatra sang about this idea in his song, “Young At Heart” and the lyrics about the young not being “narrow of mind” as a benefit of youth (TheKillerC94, 2012).

Perhaps it’s youth that is driving the idea to not be “narrow of mind”. If we shouldn’t be narrow of mind, then doesn’t it make sense to being ok with, or accepting of, not only Emile’s legal assertion but also Rachel Dolezal’s sense of herself? You may recall Rachel is a white woman who acknowledged eventually after being found out, “I acknowledge I was biologically born white, to white parents, but I identify as black” (St. Félix, 2018). If interested, Dolezal’s story is presented on Netflix, “The Rachel Divide” (Brownson, 2018).

Perhaps we should use our minds to think in ways that are appropriate to each situation or reality of our circumstances and environment. Is it, or should it be a problem when people “identify” as Native Americans? A couple of articles for your consideration.

• 2 western Washington artists plead guilty to selling fake Native American art (KING 5 Staff, 2023).
• Kay LeClaire, non-binary art collective boss, accused of faking Native American heritage (Propper, 2023).

It would be my position that part of the reason why I am a curmudgeon is that after some large number of years having passed by and becoming aware of many such fraudulent attempts by some to make money with totally false native personas. There are many like Brown (2017) and Agoyo (2023) who try to warn us about these fakers and even the U.S. Federal Government is addressing the issue.

• Indian Market Warns Buyers of Fake Native American Art (Brown, 2017).
• Fake Indian art still a major problem despite federal responsibilities (Agoyo, 2023).

You may be interested to know that there is such a need to point out fraudulent grifters, fake native academics, and deceptive leaders in the Native American communities that there are organizations established the debunking of the bogus people, here is one below.

• Tribal Alliance Against Frauds: https://tribalallianceagainstfrauds.org/

If interested you can also read about Jacqueline Keeler’s “Alleged Pretendians List” (Levine, 2022) and her list alleging Sacheen Littlefeather (Karam, 2022) not being a native.

This whole issue is rather messy. Aren’t we all of earth, aren’t we all made by the same God or creator, aren’t we just one people across the globe? These utopian ideas aren’t bad in of themselves, just be wise enough to know that if you read the book “Utopia” by Sir Thomas More you’d know that in that perfect social/government structure slavery was accepted. We don’t have to accept slavery, but I do think we need to accept that we do live in an imperfect and realpolitik type of world where people try to profit monetarily and in so many other ways.

In my tribe now we have a prominent member who dresses as a native, makes jewelry while portraying themselves as a native, joins in native dance, and is actually not listed on tribal role and yet our tribal leadership says nothing because this person is in fact a spouse of another member in tribal leadership.

Think of all the personal and tribal government drama that will be involved in correcting this situation. It will be a storm of bitter and chaotic emotions. This like so many other similar “pretendian” situations, native people often avoid taking any direct action since pointing out the false “identity” comes with a heavy social cost. Perhaps it’s better to let people identify however they like which I’m actually okay with, on the other hand I strongly resent being told by anyone or a group that I must pretend along with them. If “ethnic fraud” (Viren, 2021) is a real thing then and I think it is then it should be acknowledged and then rectified whenever possible in a manner appropriate to the harm it has caused or is causing.

References

Agoyo, A. (2023). Fake Indian art still a major problem despite federal responsibilities. Indianz.Com. https://www.indianz.com/News/2023/03/14/fake-indian-art-still-a-major-problem-despite-federal-responsibilities/

Avineri, S. (1962). War and Slavery in More’s “UTOPIA.” International Review of Social History, 7(2), 260–290. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44581481

BBC News. (2018). Emile Ratelband, 69, told he cannot legally change his age. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46425774

Brown, R. (2017). Indian Market Warns Buyers of Fake Native American Art. Public News Service. https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2017-08-16/native-american-issues/indian-market-warns-buyers-of-fake-native-american-art/a59007-1

Brownson, L. (2018). The Rachel Divide. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/80149821

Karam, A. (2022). Activist’s Bombshell Claim About Sacheen Littlefeather Sparks Fury. Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/activist-jacqueline-keeler-claims-sacheen-littlefeather-wasnt-native-but-a-pretendian

King 5 Staff. (2023). 2 western Washington artists plead guilty to selling fake Native American art. King-TV. https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/washington-artists-plead-guilty-selling-fake-native-american-art/281-4b135c6b-7345-4a0c-9de5-b19eced6c889

Levine, J. (2022). Activist makes list to bust imposters claiming to be Native American. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/01/01/alleged-pretendians-list-exposes-allegedly-fake-native-americans/

Propper, D. (2023). Kay LeClaire, non-binary art collective boss, accused of faking Native American heritage. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2023/01/03/wisconsin-artist-kay-leclaire-accused-of-faking-native-american-heritage/

St. Félix, D. (2018). “The Rachel Divide” Review: A Disturbing Portrait of Dolezal’s Racial Fraudulence. The Atlantic. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-rachel-divide-review-a-disturbing-portrait-of-dolezals-racial-fraudulence

TheKillerC94. (2012, January 12). Frank Sinatra - Young At Heart (Lyrics). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG7suS4YJWk

Viren, S. (2021). The Native Scholar Who Wasn’t. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/magazine/cherokee-native-american-andrea-smith.html