Response to "Pretendians in the Classroom”
This contribution is in response to the article by Ducharme and Hira on "Pretendians in the Classroom”. The article is appreciated as it brings forward a relevant and helpful conversation around the harms that false claims to Indigenous identity mean for Indigenous people. The background and the points raised about non-Indigenous people taking away opportunities and resources from Indigenous people are valid. Indigenous people have lost so much already, and false representation of identity continues to inflict harm. While there is an issue to navigate, the recommendations fall short, and the "cartoon" supposed to represent this issue also harms Indigenous people.
The image chosen to support the article of the noble chief taking back his headdress to expose a blond hair blue eyed non-Indigenous male, reinforces settler-based constructions of Indigeneity. The image depicts a prevalent stereotype of an Indigenous person, so readers do not think to unpack and challenge the narratives that both allow the replication of stereotypes that reinforce colonial relationships and skew the lived experience of Indigenous peoples. The stereotype of Indigenous people has been around since first contact with Europeans. Typically, we have seen the "noble savage with the headdress," then "the drunken Indian," "the Indian Princess," or the "Squaw", and so on. Stereotypes harm Indigenous people and Canada's attempts to reconcile the past. They become more harmful when they lead to discrimination and further alienate Indigenous people from opportunities. Stereotypes harm Indigenous women, who are depicted as promiscuous, drunk, or overly idealized. We are portrayed as one or the other and serve to satisfy the male gaze or reinforce the colonial narrative that we are less than. These images justify further violence against Indigenous women, who already face incredibly high rates of violence compared to their non-Indigenous sisters. Stereotypes are offensive and demeaning and damaging, and not at all funny.
The recommendations as a way past the pretendian issue offer three options for proving ones Indigeneity in Canada; The first is to recommend a settler-imposed classification system to prove Indian status. This is troublesome as the Indian Act, and subsequent legal actions have worked to undermine and assimilate Indigenous people, particularly women and children, since first contact. The system of classifying one as having "status" does not necessarily mean one Is Indigenous, as there are people without Indigenous ancestry who carry these cards as a result of marriage to an Indigenous person. By this choice, one could justify their Indigenousness and lay claim to benefits set aside for Indigenous people with no ancestry or actual commitment to the Indigenous community. Indigenous people in Canada may or may not claim "status," and the classifications are numerous and complex.
Prior to colonization and now, our tribes have clan and family systems to organize our communities. So, the second recommendation, which speaks to verifying Indigenousness through reference calls, could be possible. Communities keep membership lists and determine for themselves who is a member, and this is one way of verifying. However, putting the onus on elders and traditional knowledge keepers to be the gatekeepers of Indigeneity unless they are part of the community is a colonial approach to managing or determining belonging. The definition and belonging to a community can also be questioned. So many Indigenous people are products of residential schools and the 60'scoop, both tactics meant to erase and assimilate Indigenous culture. The path to identity is complex, yet these people are no less Indigenous.
Observing the status quo is not a helpful way forward as it does not address the actual harm done by people masquerading as someone they are not. So, we should consider decolonizing human resource management practice in ways that honour and include Indigenous approaches. For example, when considering applicants for positions set aside for Indigenous people, the organization first takes the time to develop relationships with Indigenous communities - local, regional, urban, rural or sector-specific. The relationships that develop over time with those communities will offer opportunities for recruitment and mentoring of applicants and may also provide the organization with a chance to develop a broader network of Indigenous candidates. As well that the interview processes allow applicants to tell their unique stories and connections to communities of origin and lived experiences as an Indigenous person. The chance to articulate their story and demonstrate connection will provide a more robust picture of identity, connection, and purpose. While these suggestions may not eliminate false claims about Indigeneity, they will strengthen an organization's relationship with Indigenous people, paint a much clearer picture of an applicant's lived experience and may result in fewer false claims.
You can read some statistics on violence and Indigenous women here:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00004-eng.htm
Stereotypes and Indigenous People;
https://slideplayer.com/slide/14542290/
Articles on Indigenous Identity Here;
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/looking-white-being-aboriginal-1.4167701
