Faking Indigenous identity: the rise and fall of the ‘pretendian

Anishinaabe author Drew Hayden Taylor investigates why people falsely claim Indigenous heritage, and what that costs Indigenous communities and artists.

A sharp, often wry investigation into identity fraud led by a witty Indigenous humorist.

The term “pretendian” has come to refer to someone who claims distant Indigenous heritage that doesn’t stand up to deeper scrutiny. But why would someone fake an Indigenous identity?

Plays in YouTube's player · Watch on YouTube