American Indian Culture and Research Journal

How Indianness is defined by American Indians and non-Indians, who claims to be Indian and why, and the anxieties among multi-heritage Indians are complex historical and present-day issues. While the politics of identity and the life experiences of Indians have been addressed more in recent years by scholars, activists, and novelists, there is little research addressing how and why American Indians make their identity choices. Unquestionably, the diversity of opinions over what it means to be American Indian renders the issue impossible to generalize and difficult to analyze. I am a historian, not a sociologist, but after historical study, self-analysis, observation, and much interaction with people concerned about what it means to be American Indian, it is obvious that any study of Indian identity will be complicated and that there are certainly more “types” of Indians than the ones proposed in 1964 by Clyde Warrior. Not all individuals claiming to be Indian ”look Indian,” nor were many born into tribal environments. Many are not tribally enrolled and others who claim to be Indian are not Indian at all. Some Indians who appear Caucasian or Black go back and forth assuming Indian, white, and Black identities, while others who have lived most of their lives as non-Indians decide to ”become Indians” at a later age. Some individuals are Indian by virtue of biological connection, but know little about their cultural mores either because of lack of interest; because there was no one to teach them; or because it was not (or is not) socially or economically profitable to pursue an Indian identity due to the time period, location, and degree of racism, prejudice, and stereotypes.