Pretendians
Title: This is Native America #9: Pretendians Hurt Us All
Created: 2022
Medium: Graphic Design
Software: Adobe Illustrator CC
Dimensions: 48″x36″
Articles
“Today, groups of pretendians are organizing for access to benefits set aside for Native Americans and other minorities. Wages was able to register as a minority business owner as a member of the Northern Cherokee Nation, a non-profit membership club, not a federally or state recognized tribe. Cherokee genealogists have proven that the club’s members, including Wages, have no Cherokee ancestry. According to the tribe’s “Chief” Kenn “Grey Elk” Descombes — who is also a registered minority business owner — enrollment in the group is based “90 percent on family stories.” The Northern Cherokee Nation’s lack of legal status did not stop them from issuing “tribal identification cards,” which Wages used to apply to be a minority business owner. The state of California accepted it.”
– High Country News, How ‘pretendians’ undermine the rights of Indigenous people.
“In the wake of the most recent identity scandal that rocked the arts world and ended with award-winning filmmaker Michelle Latimer apologizing for falsely claiming connection to Kitigan Zibi, some are calling for harsh penalties for anyone who can’t back up their identity claim – fines of $250,000 or five years in jail..”
– APTN National News, Pretendians and what to do with people who falsely say they’re Indigenous put InFocus.
Pretendians.com
Go to Pretendians.com to learn more.
Pretendians.com lists public information regarding Pretendians, Faux or Fake Indians, New Age Frauds, Plastic Shamans, Neo-Shamans, and Raceshifters. Sources, articles, community statements, how-tos, and calls to action are listed.
Download
Download the 11″ x 8.5″ poster (.pdf), This is Native America 9 – Pretendians Hurt Us All.
Close-Ups
Crying Indian Campaign
Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and Iron Eyes Cody (Italian Pretendian), born Espera De Corti.
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.
