Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity

Darryl Leroux

Published by University of Manitoba Press 2019

Distorted Descent

White Claims to Indigenous Identity

Darryl Leroux

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780887555961

Overview
Contents

About this book

Distorted Descent examines a social phenomenon that has taken off in the twenty-first century: otherwise white, French descendant settlers in Canada shifting into a self-defined “Indigenous” identity.

Author / Editor information

Leroux Darryl :

Darryl Leroux is associate professor in the Department of Social Justice and Community Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia). He has been working on the dynamics of racism and colonialism among fellow French descendants for nearly two decades.

Reviews

Joseph R. Wiebe:

"Darryl Leroux masterfully gives a full account of the political reasons for this phenomenon [of race-shifting]. Distorted Descent provides both an extremely important argument as well as a prose that draws in the reader."

Darren O'Toole:
"While claiming an Indigenous identity may seem like a harmless form of cosplay, Leroux illustrates how damaging these practices can be to the self-determination of actual Indigenous peoples. The two case studies show that the main catalyst to claim an Indigenous identity was to derail agreements that were being negotiated with the Innu and Mi’kmaw First Nations. Leroux’s book is itself an illustration of one of the forms that Indigenous allyship can take."

Dr. Jűrgen Werner Kremer:
"In the present climate of 'fake news' and claims to 'post-truth,' Leroux’s book provides essential data. Any hope for genuine reconciliation requires decolonization and the acknowledgment of the violent history of settler colonialism. Leroux’s contribution is a call to honest engagement."

Jeff Noh:

"[Distorted Descent] is a deeply necessary book that responds to the challenges of the contemporary moment and charts a path for a more livable future."

Sasha Chabot-Gaspé:
“The entire nation must confront these latest efforts to claim ‘Indigenous lands and life.’ Whether allies or accomplices, all Canadians must educate themselves and unlearn the stereotypes that pervade the national consciousness. They must channel their wealth, power, and expertise to support actual Indigenous organizations and communities fighting at the front lines. Most importantly, Canadians must nurture a sense of reciprocity and realize that they have been taking without giving for too long.”

Jenny Ferguson:
“Leroux’s absolutely needed and timely study unpacks the contemporary practice of white settlers self-Indigenizing while also highlighting how this process actively harms Indigenous peoples and uplifts whiteness.”

Brenda MacDougall:
“This is a timely and important study highlighting Canada’s historical literacy about who Indigenous people really are which, coupled with an exponential growth in interest in genealogical research and DNA tests that trace your ancestry, has supported the claims of white-Canadians to Indigenous ancestry.”

Pamela Palmater:

"Distorted Descent is a brave, original piece of scholarship, offered in the context of a politically sensitive and socially controversial subject of Indigenous identity. His research exposes the extent to which white settler colonialism undermines Indigenous rights through the theft of Indigenous identity. It's a real wake-up call.”

Topics

Front Matter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Self-Indigenization in the Twenty-First Century Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
The Mechanics of Descent
Lineal Descent and the Political Use of Indigenous Women Ancestors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	41
Aspirational Descent: Creating Indigenous Women Ancestors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	73
Lateral Descent: Remaking Family in the Past Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
Race Shifting as Anti-Indigenous Politics
After Powley: Anti-Indigenous Activism and Becoming “Métis” in Two Regions of Quebec Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	135
The Largest Self-Identified “Métis” Organization in Quebec: The Métis Nation of the Rising Sun Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177
White Claims to Indigenous Identity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	214
Acknowledgements Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221
Appendix Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	223
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	239
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	273

Language: English
Publisher: University of Manitoba Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 296

eBook

Published: September 20, 2019
ISBN: 9780887555961