Lani Anpo: The Erasure of Native American & Jewish Identity, and the Indijewnous Response

The discussions around indigeneity and ethnic identity continue to evolve as people like Lani Anpo courageously navigate the complexity of possessing mixed-heritage backgrounds.

Reclaiming Power: Embrace Mixed-Heritage Indigenous Identity

Lani Is Fully Indigenous and Jewish, Rejecting Partial Identities

Lani Anpo is an embodiment of embracement and resistance, identifying as fully Indigenous and Jewish and rejecting the idea of a partial identity. She grows up with a strong connection to her mother's Native American heritage while possessing knowledge of her Jewish lineage on her father's side, though without significant engagement with Jewish culture initially. Lani challenges the notion that mixed heritage should be seen as partitioned or incomplete; instead, she asserts the wholeness and totality of her identity, representing two distinct ethnic lineages.

Navigating Complexity in Indigenous and Ethnic Identity Advocacy Spaces

Spaces for Some Indigenous Groups Often Deny the Indigeneity of Others, Like Jews, Using Eurocentric Narratives

Lani Anpo faces the complexities head-on as she reclaims truth and confronts hypocrisy within Indigenous and ethnic identity advocacy spaces. She points out an inconsistency within these spaces where support for some Indigenous groups is given precedence, while the Indigenous status of others, particularly Jews, is often denied based on Eurocentric standards. As an advocate, Lani argues against the hypocrisy of advocating for native lands being returned in the U.S. while also condemning Jews as colonizers in th ...

Lani Anpo illuminates the multifaceted aspects of the erasure suffered by Indigenous peoples, and she also reveals how similar tactics of delegitimization are used against Jews, reflecting a broader pattern of discrimination.

Indigenous Peoples Face Physical, Cultural, Legal, Political, and Historical Erasure

Colonial tools have historically aimed to erase Indigenous identities through various forms, with race and blood quantum policies being central strategies for the genetic elimination of Indigenous societies. Lani Anpo addresses this racial erasure and the connected discrimination due to her mixed heritage as vivid examples.

Erasure Tactics: Violence, Removal, Destruction of Languages, Spirituality, Narratives

Indigenous erasure encompasses a range of tactics including physical violence, forced removal, and genocide, as well as sexual violence. Cultural erasure manifests in the destruction of languages, spiritual practices, and policies that criminalize Indigenous cultures. Legally and politically, sovereignty is denied, while historical erasure takes the form of rewriting or omitting Indigenous peoples from narratives.

Ruderman's discussion on the forcible removal of children from the Bad River Band of the Chippewa people, to Americanize them in schools, underscores the severity of these practices, alongside the trauma associated with being displaced from ancestral lands.

Indigenous Disconnection From Lands Delegitimizes Indigeneity, Mirroring Tactics Against Jews

Lani Anpo draws parallels between Indigenous people and Jews, particularly concerning the rhetoric surrounding ancestral homeland connections and identity.

Diaspora Time Threatens Indigenous Status and Rights

In her discourse, Anpo expresses profound concern over Indigenous peoples who echo agendas that are against Jews in Israel, in doing so, they inadvertently support strategies that could ultimately threaten Indigenous status and rights internationally. She also indicates the potential for employing arguments that delegiti ...

True Allyship Demands Introspection and Bias Awareness Before Action

Anpo emphasizes that true allyship requires a deeper self-reflection and confrontation of one’s own internal biases. When she reconnected with her Jewishness, she had to address her own prejudices and emphasizes the significance of listening and learning as the cornerstone of authentic allyship rather than immediately jumping to action.

Harmful Allyship: Failing to Listen and Learn Perpetuates Harm

The notion of harmful allyship comes to the fore when Jewish individuals claim to support Indigenous rights but only to an extent that doesn’t inconvenience them, exposing underlying anti-Indigenous biases that they might not be fully cognizant of. This form of allyship doesn't challenge the entrenched anti-Native prejudices present in society and can, in fact, perpetuate harm.

Breakdown of Indigenous, Jewish, and Other Marginalized Groups' Allyship Must Be Addressed

Anpo highlights the issue within advocacy spaces that claim to uphold Indigenous rights yet deny the indigeneity of Jews, negating the parallels in their experiences of colonization and oppression. This denial is not only antithetical to the foundations of Indigenous rights advocacy but also undermines the potential for global solidarity.

Advocacy Spaces Threaten Global Indigenous Solidarity By Turning Against Jews Despite Shared Colonization Experiences

Anpo points out the danger of anti-Jewish sentiment within some advocacy groups and the detrimental impact it has on solidarity between Indigenous populations, including Jews. She urges that Indigenous communities be cautious in sup ...

Indigenous peoples continue to combat challenges related to their existence, identity, and the bond with their ancestral lands and cultures, with the intention to protect and revive their heritage for future generations.

Indigenous Peoples Fight to Protect Lands, Languages, Spirituality, and Self-Governance

Indigenous communities strive to ensure that their descendants inherit more than the legacy of past trauma. Anpo emphasizes the battle to safeguard land, languages, and stories as a testament to the enduring connection Indigenous peoples have with their heritage. The idea is to demonstrate to descendants that their ancestors never capitulated and were persistently linked to their Indigenous identity.

Goal: Ensure Descendants Inherit More Than Trauma; Embrace Indigenous Identities and Land Connections

Anpo voices the hope that future generations will inherit a legacy that includes a robust connection to their Indigenous identities and lands. This goal underlies the efforts of Indigenous communities to remain actively engaged in the preservation and recognition of their traditional knowledge, spiritual practices, and the right to govern themselves.

Indigenous Passengers: Key to Sovereignty and Self-Determination Recognition

The concept of Indigenous passports emerges as a symbol of sovereignty and self-determination. Anpo expresses a desire for Indigenous passports that would represent the unique status of Indigenous nations. Such passports would mark a significant reclaiming of Indigenous cultures, stories, and languages aimed at ...