I do not support the making of a "Pretendian" list, I haven't seen it, I don't need to or want to see it, I've seen tweets about it tho. I think the word "Pretendian" needs to be retired.

Ive sat in the same room with Black Native and Afro-Indigenous peoples in their 90's who said (it's going to be in a documentary), "They called us Pretend Indians" (one woman, my partner's Great Aunt followed up with "and I don't know why, other than they wanted our land.")

And for full transparency purposes I have seen a list of frauds, and I believe there are some natives on the list. I was told that they're on it for culturally appropriating practices from other nations/people SPECIFICALLY to prey on vulnerable peoples.

http://www.newagefraud.org 

I have looked up people on it several times. One woman in arizona who claimed to be Nish and was selling drums for thousands of dollars to my SIL. And a native guy who had Indian church ties and was trying to run sweats...he is Native (from wyoming, same Rez I grew up on), but!

was practicing sweats from Lakota "teachers" (who he couldn't/wouldn't name). Idk. I'm just saying I think the tweets taunting on about Pretendian lists via twitter come across more like...taunts and personal agenda attacks.

I've engaged with and actually done work for frauds. One was thru twitter. She connected with me here and asked me to share my story on her and her husband's website. Patty stonefish. She used her husband (at the time) to verify her.

So I wrote my story

TW // kidnapping, violent assault, ptsd

It was about survival mode being exhausting and how I've tried to get help for mental health as a Native woman since surviving a kidnapping and violent assault on the Rez, by white dudes. ONE person told me the truth

I was also told other people talked ABOUT me, but no one ever told me. Just one woman told my partner and he shared everything with me. I confronted her on it and she was vague in all of her replies and kept saying she was confront it legally. By then she shut her site down

I know that was damaging for ME, as a survivor. But it made sense why she never wanted to follow thru with grants for native programming I had found. I guess I'm sharing that to say I do understand how being taken by a fraud feels. It feels fckin dirty. I FELT ashamed af too.

I felt like I was cautious before that. And I'm not talking about just on Twitter. I'm taking about engaging in programs, work, language work, as a QMHP with native youth (I did work with Cathedral Home for Children, in wyoming as a youth advocate/tribal liaison). But it happens.

Holding any predators and frauds accountable for their actions against a community, the community, to their victims, is important and dangerous work. And it is work. And it is scary. And it takes courage. And it takes community to do it. Not just a chosen few who have an agenda.

And holding people accountable should be done to protect the community, especially the most vulnerable members of said community. I would even say non-human beings, land, water, language, culture, resources. -taunting lists on Twitter just seems...divisive.

I'm always in trouble with my family anyways so if I said or did something offensive, please understand I'm speaking for myself & not my family or any community I'm a part of.

I don't know the history of the word "Pretendian" btw. But I don't need a smartass reply about it.

Shoot...ok, so I'm adding this cause I feel like it needs to be added.

I am tweeting all this, again for full transparency, as a white coded, connected, enrolled member of a federally recognized nation. My dad is an Elder, lodge member, heritage speaker. Me messing with a -

"Pretendian" will get sympathy, it's not your fault responses. But a Black Native, a Reconnecting person, someone who is cast out by norms will be face A LOT OF BACKLASH that impacts every fcking aspect of their life.

That's part of this whole discussion, in my personal opinion. And being accused of being a "Pretendian"-like what's the criteria? What is going into defining if you're a Pretendian? Who is calling those shots and what voices are being shut down and left out too?

There are Community members who wouldn't be on any lists, but are abusive, culturally appropriators, steal labor, intellectual property, who commit horrific crimes against peoples and are upheld and continue to have power, voice, access to resources, culture, etc. So...

another TW // sexual assault.

I went to an ALL NATIVE rehab when I was 17 in Sacaton, Az.The NATIVE rec therapist there was having sexual relationships with girls. He threatened me after i talked everyone into getting tested for STDs which I thought would keep him away from us.

When I went to the director, who happened to be a woman from my same Nation, I was told that this accusation would destroy a good program. After our cycle left some other girls wrote me asking me not to pursue it for their safety. No list for that MF.

A lot of MFs need to be placed on lists. I know Sundancers that need to be put on lists. Dead Elders that should've been put on a list and their victims are now out making more victims. Whole frauds working in extension offices...just looked up one guy-PhD in psych...

a fckin phd in psychology, and he tried to send me dirty messages when I was 13yo on wind river Rez at an extension/4H summer program.

No list for that MF. No "Pretendian" there.