Thoughts on Indigeneity, from the Perspective of an Indigenous Person

By Romario Bautista

Note: This text was originally published as a story on the author’s Instagram account. The author has given permission to reproduce this text as a blog post.

Okay, so I never really like to talk about these things on my Instagram, because that’s what my Twitter is for. But “Chicanx” Twitter got me heated on these conversations about being “indigenous” and “reclaiming your roots.” So I am going to be giving y’all some insight on the difference between being “indigenous” and “a person of indigenous descent.”

There is no problem with Latinx folks “reclaiming” their indigenous roots. For some Latinx folks, colonization has impacted their families much more than others and I’m all about folks wanting to learn about their roots and understanding where they came from and how their family history has changed.

I do have a huge problem when folks who are “reclaiming” their roots begin to identify themselves as an indigenous person. Umm, NO, you absolutely do not get to do that and let me tell you why.

The Chicanx “identity” has taught all “Mexican” folks that they are “indigenous” and they need to “decolonize” themselves from the European identity. Like I said, y’all are more than welcome to learn about your roots and where you come from. But if you have no family history of what tribe you come from and begin associating yourself with the “Mexica/Aztec” identity and begin to claim “Aztlan” and start giving yourself a “Mexica/indigenous” name, you need to take a step back and check yourself.

So… are you able to claim being an indigenous person, or are you a descendent of indigenous people? Let’s find out!

First things first. BEING NATIVE ISN’T SOLELY DEFINED BY BLOOD QUANTUM! When I say that a community has to claim you, I dead ass mean a community has to claim you. For example, my Zapotec community governs themselves through a traditional form of government called “usos y costumbres” (uses and customs). Because our family members own land, we have a civic obligation to our land and tribal government. Whether we like it OR NOT, (most of the time, we don’t like it 🙂 hehe), that is what keeps us tied to our land and our Zapotec people.

I currently live in Oregon, but my community has a tribal council located in Los Angeles, California due to the amount of indigenous migrants that reside in Southern California and Pasco, Washington. This reason being is that the politics that occur in the tribal council affect each and everyone us, regardless of where we reside physically. Our community depends on one another, and regardless of where we go we cannot escape the issues that continue to occur in our communities.

The fact that the Latinx community is at a point in time where EVERYONE wants to claim indigeneity, everyone wants to wear indigenous blouses, grow their hair out, give themselves an indigenous name, and more than anything want to claim “Aztlan” (which is an entirely different conversation itself), and the Mexica identity and perpetuating that onto other Latinx without acknowledging the fact that there are over 200 indigenous communities is insulting and problematic AF.  

Just because you took a 23AndMe test that told you you have 60% native ancestry does not give you the right to call yourself indigenous. It’s insulting to indigenous folks who have been taught to be ashamed of themselves for speaking their language, practicing their traditions, and fighting for their rights in their communities since the moment they stepped foot on this earth. It’s insulting to the indigenous people who spent their whole lives hating themselves from the discrimination they faced from Mestizx/Latinx folks. Because anti-indigenous and anti-blackness still exists in he Latinx community.

This is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. This is the type of shit that makes me laugh but cringe at the same time because Chicanx folks really think you can slap indigeneity and decolonization onto any little thing without consulting indigenous people and including them in the conversation.

A recent article written by Jessica Hernández, a Zapotec/Ch’orti’ Indigenous Scientist clearly outlined how Chicanx folks subconsciously have and continue to silence ALL other indigenous people:

“When it is time for indigenous peoples to talk or speak, remove yourself from that discourse or conversation. Acknowledge the tribes and indigenous communities that still exist. I continue to be silenced by Chican@s who claim they are indigenous so they think they can take up that space designed for indigenous peoples. They get insulted when I tell them that there is a difference between being indigenous and indigenous descendants. It is as though everyone wants some indigeneity to claim, without having to face the threats and violence that comes from it.”

I know that I’m not perfect and I’m not always right, but this something I’ve been analyzing and have been affected by for a while now. If you want to have a discussion about this, I’m more than happy to, I’m just tired of seeing Mexican Nationalist and Chicanx folks taking up spaces from other indigenous folks who are literally fighting for their communities.

I also wanted to send a lot of love and support to folks from the following communities: Mixtec, Purepecha, Zapotec, Yaqui, Taramura/Raramuri, Mayan, Afro-indigenous folks, Mixe, and Nahua.

Thank you for the support and encouragement to uplift my experience. I know y’all have experienced the same things and continue to be silenced by the Chicanx/Latinx romanticization of “indigeneity.” I will continue to advocate for our and all indigenous communities so we can have a spot at the table and be heard.

Also sending lots of love to all the Chicanx and Latinx folks who have showed support and have begun having these conversation within their own communities. Like I have said, my intention is never to attack folks, but to create a space and platform to engage in conversation and to reflect and analyze.

For more information on this topic, please check out the following articles:

How the Chican@ Discourse Silences Indigenous Peoples from Mexico + Central Americans

By Jessica Hernandez

Geographies of Race and Ethnicity III: Settler Colonialism and Nonnative People of Color

By Laura Pulido

Decolonization is Not a Metaphor

By K. Wayne Yang & Eve Tuck

Beyond Aztlán: Reflections on the Chicanx Student Movement

By Nicolas Cruz

Special issue: Critical Latinx indigeneities

By Maylei Blackwell, Floridalma Boj Lopez, & Luis UrrietaJr.