I’m a quarter Native American but I’m also half French and a quarter Scottish so when most people look at me they see just another white girl. I have very stereotypical Native Americans hair but it isn’t uncommon for other people to have very thick and dark hair. Growing up it was challenging to know that others didn’t believe I was Native American or didn’t take me seriously when I would speak about Native American and Native American culture.
My family's heritage lies in the Penobscot Nation located in Maine, very close to where I grew up. I grew up knowing this was a part of me, but no one else did. I never really thought much of it until one day I brought it up to someone who then said: “you’re too white to talk about Native Americans accurately”. That was the day I realized that being Native American meant nothing unless I looked Native Americans as well. I’ve never understood that because to me, Native Americans look the exact same as everyone else but to others who have not consciously met anyone Native American they only have the stereotypical image everyone grew up with to go off which is immensely untrue.
As I got older I started to learn about the struggles of Native Americans and the poverty a lot of them go through. They are one of the most impoverished groups of people in the country and it is rarely spoken about. Native Americans are subject to institutionalized racism from sports and school mascots while no one even speaks up. Native Americans are just like any other minority group in terms of having their voices muted and stereotypes perpetuated; however, their issues are brushed aside for the other minority groups. Every time I try to speak out against racism towards Native Americans, I am criticized because my physical characteristics are too "white" to give the genuine opinion of a Native American.
People made me feel inferior because I wasn’t allowed to partake in Native American culture and still be a part of "white" culture. I enjoy a mix of all my backgrounds in my life but as soon as people found out I was Native American they immediately questioned why I don’t wear headdresses or go to powwows. No one ever questioned why I didn’t eat escargot or wear berets when they found out I was French. There is so much stigma surrounding other races that you are questioned on how genuine your ethnicity is.
People need to open their eyes and see ethnicity and culture go so much deeper than skin.
