Pretendianism
Title: Pretendianism Is Colonial Violence
Created: 2023
Medium: Graphic Design
Software: Adobe Illustrator
Dimensions: 48″x36″
Article
“Imagine someone walking into your house and slapping you across the face. This would cover the first definition of violence, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The second definition reads, “injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation.” Profanation means, “to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt.”
This encompasses precisely what has been happening to Indigenous communities. We have been so heavily affected by stolen identities that the word “pretendian” has become a colloquially used term.”
– Toronto Star, The violence of pretending to be Indigenous
“Greed and ambition are probably the simplest reasons why people commit Indigenous identity fraud. But those aren’t the only reasons says Kim TallBear on Nation to Nation.
The bizarre compulsion to “play Indian” is rooted in a cunning form of colonial nationalism, “which is about needing to belong to this place and needing to feel that one has a moral authority to belong to and possess this land,” she explains.
TallBear, professor of Native studies at the University of Alberta, says the phenomenon known as “race-shifting” may seem new but actually has roots that reach back several hundred years.
It begins with dressing up and putting on costumes. It morphs into cultural appropriation and the new-age movement in the 20th century. Then it becomes modern identity fraud.
“There is the special place for ‘the Indian’ in the North American national imagination,” she says. “The Indian takes on this important role historically.””
And Indigenous peoples across North America, especially in Canada, are feeling increasingly worried by the issue. “
– APTNEws, The harmful, ‘cynical and self-serving’ nature of Indigenous identity fraud
Download
Download the 11″ x 8.5″ poster (.pdf), This is Native America #13: Pretendianism Is Colonial Violence.
Close-Ups
This is Native America
This is Native America is a series of artworks by Ihanktonwan Dakota artist David Bernie that promotes issues and stories within Native American and First Nations communities.
Creative Commons License
This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
