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Originally Posted by sentient
My own ‘Native American DNA’ belongs to that ‘error’ category.
Even though Mr. McD. genetically identified me as a “Russian Saami” and nowadays I am fully aware of which particular group my cousins come from, I could not present myself as that group representative nor wear the clothes that identify them as such. Because - unless you were brought up or now fully belonged to that specific group - it is just not done.
I do have a Saami drum t-shirt though, that is a bit of traumatic family history we have carried and I do have a piece of clothing with fringes (which has nothing to do with Native Americans).
Though at one stage I was curious about the potential commonalities we and Native Americans might share. The Earth Diver myth for example, some artefacts and because some overseas anthropologists had paralleled our old culture with the North West Coast Indians.
So when I accidently met a person who identified herself as North West Coast Indian, I was full of curiosity and blurted out that we are supposed to have some old cultural similarities or parallels. To which comment she with no-holds-barred let me have the ton-of-bricks wannabe hate speech.
Since I had never ever heard of any ‘wannabees’ I simply could not comprehend her reaction at all.
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Racism / hatred is a very extensive problem amongst native american and metis communities... but don't let that stop you from embracing your true ancestry.
It is a sad truth, that native american culture and metis culture are dying cultures (already dead depending on how you look at it) and the people are full of trauma and pain because of that.
I just try to separate myself from that racist mindset personally, it just doesn't resonate with me anymore.
Hardly anyone is full blooded native anymore, and there are hardly any real medicine people anymore, natives are not following the old ways anymore, that's just what happens with colonization, and as much as people want to pretend colonization never happened and try to preserve things, Native America was destroyed a long time ago. Issues on the reservations are very real and overwhelming. I worked amongst these issues for many years.
It's not going to work to try and separate people further, the only way to fix these issues is reconciliation of all races and nations and creating new customs that bring all people together.
And you'd think the Metis Communities would embrace reconciliation, but they are the most racist of all, which is understandable given the very deep pain and trauma they carry as a people who feel abandoned by native culture and white culture.
My point is, your heritage is not something someone can tell you that you don't belong to, your heritage has nothing to do with culture and you may still be deeply connected to certain customs of your ancestors.
For example, genetics are very strong! With the increase of adoptees finding their biological families with these DNA testing sites, they are starting to realize that a lot of personality traits people once thought were caused by upbringing are really just genetic!
I noticed it in myself too, as an adoptee! I have so much in common, such as shared interests, with my biological family! I wasn't raised around them, never met them at all, and yet somehow I still share common interests with them. Obviously a lot of things are genetic, even very tiny things.
I also always knew I was native, even before I could prove it. I was deeply spiritual and connected to that way of life. I joined native culture, learned medicine practices, got into fire tending for sweat lodges etc before I even had factual proof that I belonged there, I mean I already knew.
My elders could spiritually sense that I was from their tribe as well.
My main spirit guide is also Native American and taught me many native customs too.
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