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While we're [Native Twitter] on the topic of race shifting/pretendians, I thought I'd mention a really bad one in academia that I recently found.
Last week, I was reading a book chapter on the topic of DNA and identity in a marketing journal (I'm in my first year of marketing).
Last week, I was reading a book chapter on the topic of DNA and identity in a marketing journal (I'm in my first year of marketing).
In the paper, it mentions that one of the authors is Native American. I thought, "OMG, who is this unicorn in marketing scholarship?!". I Googled him and he had ~12 books on Amazon. His bio mentions that "[Name] is 1/4 Cherokee". Blood quantum statement? Immediate red flag.
After going down a Google spiral, here's what I found:
1. His books such as "Old World Roots of the Cherokee" are self-published, but cited within his articles. He ran his own Wikipedia page but it was taken down bc of evident vanity publishing. https://pantherslodge.com/
1. His books such as "Old World Roots of the Cherokee" are self-published, but cited within his articles. He ran his own Wikipedia page but it was taken down bc of evident vanity publishing. https://pantherslodge.com/
2. He owns a DNA testing company, DNA C0nsultant$, home of the "Native American DNA fingerprint test" and "Cherokee DNA test". If you're ever-so-lucky to have some "Cherokee blood" (common claim), you can order a $25 certificate. I fear what these are potentially used for.
3. His DNA testing company has a podcast featuring excerpts from his books. In "Proving the Geneticists Wrong", he asserts that "Cherokee Indians are genetically related to ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and other Mediterranean peoples, including Jews." (
) https://dnaconsultants.com/podcast/
) https://dnaconsultants.com/podcast/
4.1 In another article, he distorts Dr. Kim Tallbear's research: "Tallbear’s proposal – that Nativeness is primarily a cognitive and behavioral expression – goes farther and potentially opens the door to entry by non-Native ‘joiners’ or ‘converts’".
https://mycourses.aalto.fi/pluginfile.php/122884/mod_resource/content/1/handbook_of_qualitative_research_methods%20in%20marketing_russ_belk.pdf#page=432
https://mycourses.aalto.fi/pluginfile.php/122884/mod_resource/content/1/handbook_of_qualitative_research_methods%20in%20marketing_russ_belk.pdf#page=432
4.2. What? Dr. Tallbear's thesis is that Indigenous ID is complicated (debates re: the importance of culture and/or political designation), but "Nativeness" is def not a "cog/behavioural expression".
His statement also ignores how DNA results facilitate non-Native "joiners".
His statement also ignores how DNA results facilitate non-Native "joiners".
5. I then find that he's in the "Cherokee Nation of Sequ0yah", an unrecognized Native American tribe that is "welcome to every person of a good heart". Judging by their website, they are clearly race shifters/design enthusiasts. …http://nativenorthamericancherokeenationofsequoyah.com/application.html
Although it turns out that he was only an author (vs employed in academia) that collaborated with an esteemed marketing scholar (judged purely by the # of her JCR pubs), I've gotta say, I'm pretty angry and disheartened.
I'm angry that this work got published, though I guess I can't be surprised given the resounding absence of Indigenous business - let alone marketing - scholars.
I'm disheartened that to address anti-Indigenous research in business scholarship, such as his papers and plenty that I've read in the past year, it means tackling these issues alone or relying on non-Indig allies that understand "Indigenous issues" to advocate for us.
All this is to say that race shifters are pervasive throughout the academy and particularly dangerous in fields with little to no Indigenous scholars.
