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

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."

 
Take that, foul pretendian!

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


Update: not sooooooo fast?

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

Milnet.ca Staff
 

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."
 

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