by Klamath Henry (C’19).
Originally published in 2018
It is tricky to define what exactly a “North American Indigenous person” is. Issues of sovereignty, blood quantum and recognition all occur when speaking about a particular tribe.
It is first of all important to recognize that there still ARE Native peoples living in the United States. These people all are descendants from varying tribes, all of which have different identities, languages, spiritualities and ways of being.
In short, not all Indians are the same.
Self-identification is especially important when speaking about Indigeniety. The map above lists tribes with the labels that they individually gave themselves (decolonized versions of their own names). With the creation of the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), all peoples are allowed to self-identify as being an “Indigenous” person.
Tribes in the United States, however, have to prove their Indigeneity through blood and DNA screening, archaelogical records, etc. No other grouping of people in the United States has to do this. This is modern day colonialism.
Being “Indian” means different things to different people, just like being “American,” does to some.
It is important to educate yourself on the history of colonization and genocide. But, it is just as important that you educate yourself on how resilient the tribes who survived colonization are, and how they are managing the remnants of that genocide today.
Attached are links to important articles and resources of generalized material:
What Native American Heritage Month Means to Me
Who decides who counts as Native American?