Stealing Indigenous Cultural Identity is NOT okay!

 

Homeland in Eastern Dinetah, NM
Photo: Venaya J. Yazzie ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

If you were not born into a culture that is Indigenous to this land, or to parents that are Native/Indigenous with tribal affiliation, you are NOT, and you cannot make the claim that you are Native/Indigenous.  Just like I mentioned before in a previous post, taking on aspects of Native/Indigenous culture and identity to solely benefit your personal gain is stealing, it is cultural appropriation, it is a passive act of racism.

It sure seems that someone turned on the green light for those people who Native/Indigenous people refer to as "wannabes" (non-Native people wanting to have an identity of an Indigenous person, a tribal affiliation) - for they are on their game in 2022.  This is so evident on many social media platforms, none more than on Instagram.  It is there that the wannabes are like free-roaming zombies looking for an Native/Indigenous identity to ingest.  For I have seen how these wannabes create fake accounts, 'adorn' themselves in tribal jewelry and garments, create a tribal name, and therefore claim their new tribal identity.

As a practicing visual artist I have seen a plethora of these wannabes wandering to and fro in the southwest land of the Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo, Apache and Ute people.  Some are outright obvious in their tangible presentation - literal 'adornment' of themselves with the Hollywood version of the "American Indian" i.e. feathers, fringe and beadwork. While other wannabes walk and talk with the language and jargon-version of "Native" i.e. claiming tribal affiliation, a great-grandmother who was Cherokee or Navajo,  and presenting stolen Indigenous knowledge they learned in books written by Anglo people.

Recently I learned about a women on Instagram who is of non-Native/ Indigenous decent  who claimed an Indigenous name, wore her newly acquired Native/Indigenous jewelry and garments, looking the part to a T!  It is there on Instagram that she is established as a Native/Indigenous "Influencer" that carries 41K followers - who used and continues to use this fake identity to make money via Cashapp, Venmo and Pay Pal among others.  This is NOT legit, it is not okay, she is FAKE. I know of another non-Native/Indigenous woman also who is living a fake life as a half-Navajo decent woman.  This woman lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico who tells people she is a half-breed writer, poet, advocate and educator or the Native/Indigenous people.  She has no affiliation with tribal people's heritage!  These two types of people are deranged in my opinion.  They want to look the part but they are not rooted in the trauma, poverty, murder and colonized communities plight.

Cultural appropriation has become a disease in North American, perhaps it was born out a virus that infects the brain function, whatever it is doing or not doing - it is a terrible act.  Cultural appropriation of Native/Indigenous culture and the people is a monster and we that are truly Native/Indigenous need to seek it out and destroy it! We are the new generation of Natives, we are the legacy that our ancestors prayed for and blessed. We can no longer be passive or docile, we have the responsibility to SPEAK OUT and STOP cultural appropriation.

Blessings,

Venaya J. Yazzie, 2022

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED