Holding Our Ground: Voices and Strategies Against Self-Indigenization
200 SE Oak St
Minneapolis,
MN
55455
This two-day, hybrid symposium will convene leading experts, community members, and "first responders" to address the critical global issue of “self-Indigenization.” This phenomenon is often colloquially referred to in North America as “pretendianism” or “Indigenous ethnic fraud.”
This symposium is a critical intervention at this moment. It focuses on how such acts perpetuate extractive relationships between settler colonial states against American Indian; Canadian First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and global Indigenous communities.
This symposium will bring participants together to engage in critical discussions and actionable strategies.
The growing issue of Indigenous ethnic fraud impacts virtually every sector, including
- Academia and research.
- Government and policy.
- Arts, literature, television, and film.
- Museums and repatriation efforts.
- Natural resource claims.
- Nonprofits, foundations, and the business world.
Discussion topics will include
- Systemic and resource incentives that encourage self-Indigenization in the US, Canada, and other colonial states.
- Documented accounts of tangible harms caused by pretendianism.
- Strategies for effective community and institutional change.
- Policy responses across Tribal, national, and global jurisdictions.
Attendees will hear from a diverse array of perspectives, including
- Tribal and other Indigenous government leaders.
- Academic researchers and university administrators.
- Indigenous community members and journalists who have investigated major cases.
- Museum professionals, artists, writers, and individuals from the Indigenous business sector.
Pricing and Registration
Register using the link at the top of the page.
| Type of attendance | Price |
|---|---|
| In person* | $200 |
| Online via Zoom* | $125 |
| Student (student ID required) | $25 |
| Book event add-on (separate registration) | $50 |
*Community members (non-professional) and un(der)employed: Email us at [email protected] to indicate your situation and request a complimentary registration.
Preliminary Schedule
| Time | Topic and Presenter |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:30 | Coffee and pastries |
| 8:30 – 9:00 |
Traditional Welcome Londel Seaboy (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) |
| 9:00 – 9:15 |
Symposium Introduction & Framing: Self-indigenization as a Global Problem: Towards Institutional Verification Procedures Presenter: Kim TallBear (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate), professor, American Indian studies, University of Minnesota |
| 9:15 – 10:45 |
Panel 1: Tribal Leaders on Citizenship & Sovereignty Moderator: Amber Annis (Cheyenne River Lakota), executive director, Native Governance Center, Minneapolis Panelists:
|
| 10:45 – 1:00 | Break |
| 11:00 – 12:30 |
Panel 2: Testimonies Of Harm in the Academy & Beyond Panelists:
|
| 12:30 – 1:30 | Lunch |
| 1:30 – 2:30 |
Keynote Address: White Possessiveness & Box-checking in a Genealogical Age: How University Infrastructures Enable Indigenous Identity Fraud Presenter: Chris Andersen, dean, College of Social Sciences & Humanities, University of Alberta |
| 2:30 – 4:30 |
Panel 3: Abenaki Council of Odanak on Self-Indigenization in Vermont Moderator: Darryl Leroux, associate professor of political studies, University of Ottawa Panelists:
|
| 4:30 – 4:45 | Closing and Reflections on Day 1 |
| 6:00 – 8:00 | Symposium Dinner and Book Event (details below) |
| Title | Topic and Presenter |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:30 | Coffee and pastries |
| 8:30 – 10:00 |
Panel 4: Breaking: The Role of the Media in Resisting Self-Indigenization Moderator: Candis Callison (Tahltan Band), professor, School of Public Policy & Global Affairs, University of British Columbia Panelists:
|
| 10:00 – 12:00 |
Panel 5: Conversation with Cherokee Scholars on Sovereignty & Identity Moderator: Daniel Heath Justice (Cherokee Nation), professor, English and critical Indigenous studies, University of British Columbia Panelists:
|
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 2:30 |
Panel 6: Archival Methodologies & Sovereignty Moderator: David Delgado Shorter, professor World Arts & Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles, and editor-in-chief, American Indian Culture & Research Journal (AICRJ) Panelists:
|
| 2:30 – 3:45 |
Panel 7: Legal Challenges & Strategies in Resisting Self-Indigenization Moderator: Angelique EagleWoman (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate), professor of law and director, Native American Law & Sovereignty Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law Panelists:
|
| 3:45 – 5:15 |
Panel 8: Going Beyond Indigenous Self-identification: Institutional & State Policy Responses Moderator: Amy Lonetree (Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin), professor, history, University of California, Santa Cruz Panelists:
|
| 5:15 – 5:30 |
Closing Knowledge keeper TBA |
Author Conversation: Who Gets to Be Indian?
descendant), lecturer in American Indian studies at California State University San Marcos and author of Who Gets to be Indian? Ethnic Fraud and Other Difficult Conversations about Native American Identity, will be in conversation with Audra Simpson (Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Nation), professor of anthropology at Columbia University.
Sponsors & Support
We are seeking support to assist with the cost of travel, accommodations, and honoraria for the speakers who will come in from across the United States and Canada. Any amount would be much appreciated, and once we have a final list of co-sponsors, we will include you in the flyer and announcements about the workshop, unless you requested otherwise. Please email [email protected].
Contact
Email us at [email protected].