WhoMe

Alot of people have heard of shape shifters.

But have you heard of "Tribe shifters?" You know....

individuals who start off claiming to be one tribe, then another, then possibly even another? (ie. Apache, then Blackfoot, then Lakota, then Cherokee, then etc., etc.)?

I have been talking to friends who know these types of people. I have also seen several recent threads on this website that address the "tribe shifters," who go to powwows or want to associate with Indian people.

In days past, when AIM was still popular, some of these tribe shifters were..... NARCS, informers and infiltrators sent into American Indian communities to gather information.



Have YOU ever met a Tribe Shifter?

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

Ta'neeszahnii Techno

I know of "clan" shifters that claim to be of one clan one day and another clan the following week!

Mato Winyan

I live in the mid west........... now what do you think??????

But yeah.....seriously. I have met some that just switch tribes. Then I've also met some that they claim everything coming and the list keeps growing.

Sometimes I think it is a way to cover their butt when some one questions them on something that doesn't seem right. They can say well this is from this tribe and because I'm also this tribe I do this... and to honor this tribe of my grandmother........ you get the picture.

I've also know of one guy in particular that was always up front about his not having any blood ...... how he was white ......blah blah..... well dude is now Cherokee. Dude gives my people a bad name.

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"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume

Smokin' Ace

Man - do I know tribe shifters.....

It seems that these individuals change as they need to be on the "in" tribe - then word gets back to the "IN" tribe, and they ask for proof - and they creep to another tribe.

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Be blessed - got love???

This b me.....

www.myspace.com/akayo

ac_miss

Yes! There are so many in the Houston area who claim to be one tribe and then the next time you see them, they introduce themselves as being another tribe or adding another one! It's crazy!

bahnisiain

i met a few people who claimed to be one tribe one day then a nother tribe a whie later.

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kiiyaaniiasdzaa

I do know of people claming to be so many tribes at once plus what bahnisiain quoted. Then I come to find out they are fake?

Singing Otter

Yep. I know some that change tribes like most folks change drawers.

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Lakota Wiyan

There is one lady out in Iowa named Julie who is NOT native at all, her family, especially her father, are "sympathizers" (like we all need so much pity!) Anyway, she and I used to get along good, as long as she was respectful, but then, I check out Bellaonline, and she is the Native American editor, which is cool. BUT, her bio page was so full of crap! She said she was Oglala Lakota, and then she had the nerve to say she was Heyoka! Just because she was hit by lightening twice. I posted a message there calling her on all the things that she said. I also printed out her bio page and took it to elders in our tribe, as well as to several people on the council and different organizations on the rez. Now, she is kind of marked, people are going to call her on lies everytime she spreads them!
I think that its a shame that Bush is cutting funding for indian museums in order to combat native artifact counterfeiting, but I think they should also consider combating the people who are counterfeiting OUR culture. HOW Eurocentric! First they take our land, then they try to take our religion and our spirit, and now they are trying to take over our identity. It's making me mad, but the only thing I can do is keep calling people on their lies and making them accountable for themselves. I can back myself up!

WhoMe

wiyan,

Pisses me off too.

Today I was sitting next to a white-guy at lunch. He saw I had one last piece of fried chicken. So he has the nerve to say, "Hey, you gonna eat that last piece?''


To which I stood up and said,


"WHAT?


First your people take our land, then they try to take our religion and our spirit, and now ....



you want APPETITE?"




*L

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe

**jdazmum**

This thread is pretty funny, but we all know there are a lot of tribe shifters along for the ride in the powwow circuit. I for one, am glad to be full-blooded Dine and will never claim to be another tribe. Our culture and traditions are unique and special to me. I'm not going to say who, but we all know who those imposters are. I have to mention that although most natives don't like whites, but we live by their ways now. We own big screen television sets, internet, cell phones, we ride in their cars, live by their government. Whatever happened back in the nomad days we can't change, but what we should focus on is keeping our traditions alive. Learn your language, stories and preserve them. Teach your kids how to speak your language. Teach them the dances and meaning of your tribe's traditions. I think that is the reason I'm very proud to be a Dineh. We still teach our children and talk to them about being a Dineh. I saw a sentence in a subscription here on the rez, it said, "Elders don't know how to read Dineh, but can speak it fluently, but youths can read Dineh and can't speak it." Isn't that true. That says something about the way our youths are being raised today. They don't want to hear old stories or an elder speak, they turn their heads. That ignorance in our youth will be the end of us if we don't learn and live by them. Something to think about, now.....when I see tribe shifters, I know in my mind the truth, but I mind my own business and keep my mouth shut. They only bring shame upon themselves.

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Your integrity is your destiny… it is the light that guides your way.”
-Heraclitus, Greek poet and philosopher

DANCINGEAGLE

See them at every p/w, and please, don't give them the mic. They are from every tribe under the sun and can speak every language, been to every ceremony, and travelled to every p/w. You really know that they are fake when they start off by saying that their great-great grandmother was a Cherokee princess.

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Through the good times and bad times, always pray.

Anishnawbe10

Yes, too many people claiming to be from some tribe, I have been living in the Ohio area and I seen that a lot here. Mr. Tom N. will be an area director here at a Pow Wow in the Ohio area, now he is one that claims to be from many tribes. He is one of the many tribe shifters. I have learn that their nothing that can be done. Only confronting them might help.
I just wish people can be honest and be proud of who they are............................................... .................................................. .................................................. .............

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"To follow the right path, is one to follow the mistakes he made in life, to learn off them. Learn to understand them..."

Anishnawbe10