Indigenous Identity Is Not a Costume

By Odawa Bound

Indigenous identity is not something you can claim because of a family story, a DNA test, or a "feeling in your heart." It’s not a trend or an aesthetic. It’s not about spirituality, feathers, or the crafts you sell at a market. Being Indigenous is about community, belonging, and recognition from your Nation.

Too often, people confuse ancestry with identity. But there's a difference between having Indigenous ancestry and being Indigenous. Identity is political. It’s legal. It’s historical. It’s social. It comes with responsibilities to your people, to your land, to your ancestors, and to future generations.

Many of us carry the weight of colonization, forced assimilation, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and ongoing systemic injustice. When someone falsely claims our identity for status, funding, or platform, it isn’t just offensive. It’s violent. It erases the lived experiences of First Nations people who are fighting to reclaim what was taken.

Indigenous identity comes from your Nation saying: yes, you belong. It’s rooted in connection, not convenience.

So here at Odawa Bound, we don’t play nice when it comes to pretendians. We believe in protecting the integrity of First Nations identity. We support policies that prioritize community recognition over self-identification. And we are committed to educating others, because awareness is a tool for resistance.

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