Pretendians
By Canadaland
What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.
There are hundreds of cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not. So why do these so-called “pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?
In each episode of this riveting new podcast series, co-hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) and Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) reveal unbelievable stories of audacious fraudsters and investigate the complex phenomenon of Indigenous identity theft.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episode
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Indigenish
What makes people fake being Native? How do they explain it once the truth comes out? And is there any way to be not Native, but….Native adjacent? We talk to three people who lived it.Pretendians cannot get made without you. B… -
Johnny Depp and the Hollywood Phonies
There are no shortage of stories about movie stars who played Native and kept the act going even after the cameras stopped rolling. Iron Eyes Cody, Sacheen Littlefeather, and Johnny Depp – being a Pretendian is a Hollywood tradition! A history of … -
Pretendian Hunters
What happens when Pretendian investigations go wrong? Robert talks to Jacqueline Keeler, the person behind the “Alleged Pretendians List". Then, he talks to Kiros Auld, whose name appeared on that controversial list. The problem? Kiros is legitima… -
Make Native America Great Again
Oklahoma's Republican governor Kevin Stitt is a card-carrying member of the Cherokee Nation. So why is he also considered the most "anti-Native governor" in history? A look at his family history reveals some wild surprises, and shows how Indigenou… -
Pretending in Prison
Marvin "Casper" Ouimet was your ordinary terrifying Hells Angel mob boss until he was sent to prison for conspiracy to commit murder. That's where he declared himself to be Indigenous. The prison asked no questions, and granted him access to a spe… -
Interview with a Pretendian
Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that. He’s not just your av… -
Coming Soon: Pretendians (Official Trailer)
What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous. From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be … -
Audacious fraudsters and Indigenous identity theft - introducing Canadaland’s latest show
Thunder Bay host Ryan McMahon pops in to tell you about a new podcast you’re going to want to know about – launching right here on May 14th. Hosted on Acast. See -
Post-Mortem, Part 2
Ryan McMahon and Jon Thompson team up with Cherise Seucharan for the conclusion to Post Mortem, a two-episode dive into the connection between the police, the coroners, and the canary in a coal mine for death investigations across the province. -
Post-Mortem, Part 1
For over five years, Canadaland has been investigating Thunder Bay, Ontario. Specifically, we have been trying to figure out why there were so many unanswered questions around the deaths of Indigenous people in this one Ontario town. We…