Mr. President* and Ms. Warren: Misunderstandings That Need to be Corrected

This post originally was going to be posted on Facebook as a rejoinder to the political madness around the President's* persistent attacks on Ms. Warren, calling her "Pocahontas" and saying that he'd pay her $1M for proof of her being an Indian. In recent days she has released her DNA test results which have prompted more conversation and more insults from the Insulter in Chief. Yes, I realize that I am also insulting.

Plainly stated, I am just a Caucasian male, a professional, who happened to work during an eight year chapter in my life with an American Indian (AI) tribe north of the Red River from 2008 to 2016. I learned a lot during those eight years and thankful for those who trusted me with their stories of living while Indian in white America. I honor them and thank them for their patience with me and their trust. Their stories resonate deeply in my heart.

While the numbers may change on occasion, presently there are 573 federally recognized AI tribes and 63 state-recognized tribes in eleven states. Oklahoma has 39 federally recognized tribes and Texas has three. There is no monolithic language or culture that is interlaced through all, though there are distinctive world views in general by comparison to western ways of thinking and seeing the world. There is much complexity within and across tribes across the United States.

As a personal aside, my ideas have been shaped by those who are from the following tribes: Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Kiowa, Ponca, Comanche, Caddo, Mississippi Choctaw, and Cheyenne. I no longer work in that world, but occasionally things pop up, especially when it occurs to me that America is still not getting it right by Native Americans. And by the way, there are three large ways of considering those who were here first, and in an attempt to be respectful, I tend to move back and forth between First Nations, Native Americans, and American Indians, but I prefer AI, but many AIs think any of those are ridiculous misrepresentations.

The debate around Ms. Warren's DNA shows how uninformed many are including the President*. Here are a few reflections for your consideration. These are nothing more than my personal opinions based upon living north of the Red River for eight years. I realize that this may stir up more controversy. Otherwise, my thoughts and words are just one more drop in the ocean of ideas and words.

1) OK is a non-reservation state with one exception. When that state was admitted to the union, the tribal lands were taken away and given back in allotments of small parcels. Charla's grandmother was on of those folks. A misnomer is that all "Indians" live on "reservations." That part of the world looks like any other part of the world with a couple of exceptions. The tribes do own land that is "trust" land. Don't do anything stupid or illegal on a tribe's trust land. 2) Phenotype is not a good way to determine American Indian status. Many who are citizens of tribes will phenotypically appear as White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, or what we typically think of as AI.

3) American Indians are either enrolled or not enrolled. Those who are enrolled will be enrolled in a tribe, many of which use the Dawes Commission Rolls to verify AI status by tribe. Many of us in the US are not enrolled due to choice of ancestors. Back in the day, racism was huge, so many AI folks chose to "pass as white." You've perhaps heard that expression for other people of color. My wife and sons are enrolled as Chickasaw citizens and I consider myself to be a non-enrolled person with roots that go back to Cherokees, Creeks, Pee Dee, and Edisto Tribes. Claiming such does not make me a citizen. 4) The whole notion of "part-Indian" is offensive to many, and it is to me. You are either AI or you are not. In my opinion the whole blood quantum thing was a derivation of the US government to "stamp out the Indian-ness" from people. That is, in my opinion, a piece of the concept of Manifest Destiny as applied to people groups who were here first, something that allowed Europeans to run roughshod over American Indians. While citizenship cards and CDIB cards are things that AI citizens carry, generally it is rude to ask someone what their blood quantum is.

5) In my time in OK, we wrestled with treatment of citizens of various tribes in medical and behavioral health settings. We developed an inventory (and I do not know that status of that as I am no longer an employee) that attempted to measure identity, cultural engagement, and satisfaction with cultural engagement. Physicians and therapists who respect the culture of AI citizens are more highly trusted than those who do not.
6) Since identity is a highly personal phenomenon, one can identify strongly with or without being culturally engaged. Similarly, those who are "unenrolled" AIs can express high levels of identity in general with or without identifying with a particular tribe. 7) DNA testing is not currently used for confirming one's citizenship, and thus the Cherokee's strong voice; it can, however, show comparatively how one's DNA is similar to a group that is known to be AI-blooded. For instance, many who have a CDIB card could conceivably show a very, very low DNA match while others could show a very, very high DNA match. In my opinion, DNA will never be used to prove tribal citizenship. 8) Back in the late 1880s and early 1900s as Indian Territory (and others) was transitioning to statehood, the feds sent folks to IT to enroll citizens in their tribal groups. That is the foundation for AI tribal status for tribes. 9) Different tribes have different rules or policies for determining citizenship. The AI world is not one monolithic, monolingual phenomenon. There is much complexity.

The whole debate around Ms. Warren's DNA is political fodder. Her DNA is consistent with people who have AI ancestors, so that is fine by me. On the other hand, she can say she has Cherokee heritage, which is fine by me. The Cherokee Nation can say that she is not one of those since she has no direct lineal descendants on the Dawes Rolls, which is fine by me. The whole thing is politics between warring political factions. I say to Mr. President*, "leave her alone and quit calling her insulting names." To Ms. Warren I would say, "don't let him pull you into more madness that he already creates."