Alyson Roberts,
Carroll, IA
My skin is pale and my hair is red, the markings of my mother, but my blood has generations of Native American history. Some people claim “I’m 1/38 (or whatever percentage you would like) Native American”, but they don’t know and they are claiming rights, traditions, and a culture that does not belong to them. My skin is white but my heritage and beliefs are strong because of what my family has taught me. It is easier to say I am white because I do not want to be one of the people that claimed to be Native American (of any descent or portion) when all they were doing was taking part in cultural appropriation or downright lies. I don’t want to be a person that is seen as yet again stealing from indigenous people because of the color of my skin, so it is easier to say that I am just white and to deny myself how proud I really am of my close familial heritage.
