Dynamic Characters

This last year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. Originally planning a wedding for July 12 2025 It is now happening on July 4, 2026. Spending the spring in Victoria for a second year in a row and deciding on spending winter months in warmer climates instead of returning to Victoria every year. Engaging more as a public speaker, starting to do more advocacy work and also getting added to the mediation roster and doing 3 mediations.

Trust is based on stability yet things change. So how do we embrace these changes while staying true to our identity.

People want consistency in identity. To convey a convincing message, it needs to be concise clear and consistent. When things are not consistent this creates doubt, and this erodes trust; however, things are not static. Change is the one true constant. So, people change, as does their identity over time. What people know about themselves also changes over time. I know some people who have only met close family members as an adult. One friend of mine talks about it in his podcast Crazy James Speaks https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/crazy-james-speaks/id1515314603

During the last year Buffy St. Marie’s identity became a major news event and it was related to awards she was granted and then returned.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/cp-buffy-returns-order-of-canada-1.7474435#:~:text=Buffy%20Sainte%2DMarie%20says%20she%20has,never%20lied%20about%20her%20identity.

So what we claim as an identity has significant repercussions.

Indigenous identity is a challenging topic, as is Jewish identity. I’ve never claimed to be Jewish. I have a number of Jewish friends, colleagues, and coworkers. One thing that I find interesting is the intersection between race and religion in claiming the identity. For many the religious distinction is the main importance, and for others it is more genetically based. It is possible to convert and become Jewish, but I have heard about prejudice within the Jewish community against those who are not ethnically Jewish. When discussing the topic quite openly with one of my Jewish friends he was explaining that the confusion I was experiencing around the nature of the identity, and how it is claimed, was not unique to me and he experienced similar feelings within the Jewish community. I felt honoured to be included in this piece of wisdom.

Indigenous identity is another identity with its own unique intricacies. There is criticism against people claiming this identity because they have a grand parent or great grand parent when the person claiming the identity has little or no connection with the culture, especially if the person presents as Caucasian. These are sometimes referred to as “Pretendians" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretendian#:~:text=A%20pretendian%20is%20a%20non,pretend%22%20and%20%22Indian%22.

Someone may claim this identity to gain access to programs or services that would not otherwise be available to them https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/pretendians-and-the-indian-act This may have the effect of taking away resources from someone else who has stronger connections with the culture and this is why others are angered by it. Some would criticize Buffy for taking away honour from someone truly indigenous who could have benefited from it, sometimes referred to as “Stolen honour” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_valor Which also relates to soldiers awarded medals for acts they did not do; however, there is a distinction to be drawn here. In the case of soldiers taking credit for something they did not do there is a decided lack of action on the part of the soldier. They in fact did nothing; whereas, in the case of Buffy she actively promoted indigenous culture and tells a story of being raised in a Cree environment. Whether or not this is true I don’t personally know never having met her personally nor spoken with any of her family. All I have to go on are news stories and when you start reading those it’s time to pick who you want to believe.

Whether there would have been someone with an indigenous identity who would have been awarded the medal in place of Buffy had she not been given the order in the first place will be a mystery without an answer; however, it is worth noting that the order of Canada was not reassigned to anyone so it looks like the honour that was bestowed is now gone forever and will benefit no one.

Claiming an indigenous identity when the facts are uncertain has a few challenges. On one side I’ve heard it said that you should claim that identity even if the connection to culture is weak because the more people we have claiming that identity the better we will be. Especially when you are successful you should show others how successful indigenous people can thrive. On the other hand, especially for Caucasian presenting people it gives a false sense of accomplishment because the challenges faced by someone living off reservation and “growing up white” doesn’t have the same challenges and this is taking away from someone who has those challenges and deeper connections to the culture.

Returning to the theme of how and where to place trust I was watching an episode of ‘The Good Doctor’ where he was being sued for malpractice. He had made the best decision he could with the information available to him at the time. He was in the field and not at a hospital at the time and there was a test that could be done at the hospital. He was tempted to get the test done; however, getting it done would have created evidence that could be used against him in a trial. The question was posed about who he really wanted to trust, his lawyer or the test. In the end he decided to trust his lawyer. He placed his trust in a human that many other people did not trust and it turned out to be a really good decision.

https://the-good-doctor.fandom.com/wiki/The_Good_Lawyer

Growing up we were told that our mother’s grandmother was Blackfoot, although exactly what nation was unclear. The way my mom tells it her grandfather was from England and had a daughter out of wedlock. My mom’s mom was half Blackfoot but raised by her English step-mother and denied any connection to indigenous heritage. As we were growing up our mom took us to many events, powwows, and gatherings. I spent some time at a Native school

https://pub-biglakescounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=1140

Although, for the most part I was raised non-indigenous

My mom passed away 3 years ago now and my knowledge of my past is still uncertain to me. I’ve considered doing Ancestry DNA

https://www.ancestry.com/

However, then the question becomes, do I trust the test, or do I trust my mom. This raises an interesting point as well. The test I would use is a symbol of modern science and colonial culture, whereas my mom’s story is the oral tradition. Also, what purpose would it serve to have a DNA test. Could I use that to gain status to claim this identity under the Indian Act. The Indian Act itself is a tool of colonial oppression in a system of imported laws. Many indigenous people shun the act. Furthermore, would claiming this identity based on the results of a test be tantamount to pretendian theory that is also widely criticized.

Ultimately, I decided against doing the test and/or claiming an indigenous identity at this time. I don’t want to be accused of taking stolen honour and I don’t want to take resources from someone else who can use it more. In support of indigenous culture I will say that I am an ally. I teach from a multicultural perspective that incorporates thoughts and beliefs from many traditions. I practice restorative justice. I acknowledge that Restorative Justice is rooted in indigenous traditions. https://www.claycountymn.gov/1812/Historical-background-of-restorative-pra

I am also trauma informed. I have my own experiences of abuse and these not only form my identity but also shape my practice and my approach to law. I support restorative justice not because I am indigenous but because it is an approach that responds more to the needs of survivors than adversarial systems. I also support sex assault survivors, and I am an ally to women, trans-gendered, and non-binary people.

One does not need to be a member of a group to support that group, yet in an ever shifting fluid and dynamic world of identity how and why we claim what identities we do becomes increasingly more significant as people continue to search for certainty in an uncertain world.

One thing to be mindful about is the way a person’s identity will shift over time as more information becomes available to them such that what was once a part of their identity may no longer be a part of their identity. When this shift happens will people respond with compassionate understanding or doubtful criticism. The choice of how to respond is up to the individual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKkUAwTbZTc

Therefore, I encourage compassion and understanding in our responses to promote healing and empathy for societal betterment.