Pretendians in the Academy: Issues and Solutions

Pretendians, that is, individuals claiming to have Native heritage who in fact have none, are a matter of serious concern. They effectively steal resources from Native American scholars. They may claim to speak for a Native American community when they have authority to do so. They may publicly discuss matters a Native American community may not want to made public. They may violate the sovereignty of Native nations to decide who can claim citizenship in the given nation. So, the issue of Pretendians in the academy deserves open, frank, and serious discussions. This roundtable will start that process. We will engage in a discussion of the issues and propose that the American Academy of Religion develop a statement on the issue of ethnic fraud and develop a policy concerning those who engage in academic dishonesty in making false claims of Native American identity.