Final Project: Tweet Tweet - Kaylee B

As we were discussing “There, There,” last week, I enjoyed some serious self-reflection. As I mentioned in my post about Elizabeth Warren, my connection to my Native identity came through my estranged father who was forcibly adopted from the Pine Ridge Reservation as a baby. Coming to Stanford it was a goal of mine to learn more about Native communities and my own connection to them. When we were discussing the book, I thought about how much personal and intellectual growth I have experienced over the past 4 years. I was thinking about how I would have read the book as a freshman versus how I am reading it now.

The more I learn about Native issues, the more responsibility I feel. Nelson Mandela said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By being well-read on the issues, reading other debates, and understanding the history and social structures that contribute to the problems Natives face I feel more prepared to educate others. I also acknowledge that I have been lucky enough to listen and learn from other people. They have shared their knowledge with me to make me less ignorant. Therefore, when I see or hear something that bothers me, I try to assume the best. I try to assume that a person does not know any better, but perhaps with a little insight they will be more informed to understand in the future.

One of the best parts about this class was the space to openly discuss. I have taken many Native Studies classes, but there is often not time to discuss current events. One of my favorite classes this quarter was the one where we discussed Elizabeth Warren, because I had been having so many thought about the situation, but did not have a structured place to talk and hear how others were feeling. This past summer I began to use Twitter quite a bit more and through this was able to connect to a lot of Indigenous scholars and activists. These people have kept me up to date on many issues, as well as provided incredibly useful threads on important topics. I have seen so many incredible tweets about such important topics, therefore, I would like to share some of my favorites and use them to provide support to this paper. One of the best parts about Twitter is seeing Natives doing great things and gaining representation.



However, there are still a lot of problems that exist in the world. Twitter is useful for learning about those problems, but also learning how to deal with those problems. Twitter is a great place to connect with people that I would not otherwise encounter. Many Natives take the time to point out issues, or provide academic research to make claims, or even give you examples of how to respond to debates. For example, I have seen suggestions to educators about better ways to teach their class about Natives. I have learned more about debating the mascot and costume issue.



One important theme that the Elizabeth Warren discussion brought up is what it means to be Native. Identity is a tricky thing because in some ways it is important everyone has an opportunity to explore and find community. As this issue came up I tried to think about what I thought it meant to be Native. Luckily, I knew where to search for help coming up with an answer. The first tweet listed stated a point that really resonated with me. I wrote about this in my blogpost, but I am going to reiterate it. I believe that being Native is a feeling and a way of being rather than a percentage or a thing you own. For example, if someone tells me “they have Native ancestry” or “their great-grandmother WAS Native” or “they’re a little Native,” I do not usually find myself feeling a connection to them. This is because they are not taking it on, but trying to justify it. Being Native American is an active thing. It means feeling a part of the Native community at large. Someone who is connected to their Native identity, even if someone’s blood is not “100%” Native (although I personally don’t think DNA determines race…), phrases their connection in a much more active. People say things like “I AM Native,” or “I AM Lakota”



On the other hand, identity is not an entitlement, a phase, or something to take lightly. It is important to protect Native status because it can be used to harm Native communities. For example, phrases like, “well I’m part Native and dressing up as Pocahontas doesn’t offend me,” excuses actions that are harmful and racist. There is also a lot of harm that can be done by associating phenotype with identity. This leads to Natives being asked to validate their identity through blood quantum or explain why they don’t look a certain way.


I recently saw that genealogy kits are expected to me one of the top selling Christmas gifts this year. It is important to consider what these types of “tests” tell us and what value that information has. I think most Natives would agree that DNA does not determine Native identity. Maybe it can tell about race, but race is a social structure created to other. It is also important to consider why. Two of the biggest theories are that by learning one has the DNA of a minority, it can excuse white guilt. If one learns that they have “native DNA” then they are not part of the problem, rather they are the victim of it. In intro to CSRE, we learned that this is a way of “transcending whiteness.” There is also a belief that there is some sort of benefit to being Native, such as casino money, free tuition, or other sorts of hand outs. There are people who believe if they can check the box then they too will reap these lucrative benefits.