Pretendians

Canadaland Beyond
  • 4.5 (10)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • WEEKLY SERIES
Pretendians

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What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.  There are hundreds of cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not. So why do these so-called “pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?  In each episode of this riveting new podcast series, co-hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) and Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) reveal unbelievable stories of audacious fraudsters and investigate the complex phenomenon of Indigenous identity theft.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1. Interview with a Pretendian

    EPISODE 1

    Interview with a Pretendian

    Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that.  He’s not just your average imposter – "Grand Chief" Guillaume Carle is the king of the “pretendians", a French Canadian who made a small fortune creating his own fake First Nation and issuing phony Indian Status Cards to thousands of other identity thieves.  Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free. Sponsors: AG1 Betterhelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  2. Pretending in Prison

    EPISODE 2

    Pretending in Prison

    Marvin "Casper" Ouimet was your ordinary terrifying Hells Angel mob boss until he was sent to prison for conspiracy to commit murder. That's where he declared himself to be Indigenous. The prison asked no questions, and granted him access to a special program for Native inmates, in which prisoners get private cells, spiritual guidance, better food and ultimately – reduced sentences. But what about the real Natives in these programs? Hosts: Robert Jago & Angel Ellis  Credits: Jesse Brown (Publisher, Executive Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor, Mixer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)    Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free.  Sponsors: AG1, BetterHelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  3. Make Native America Great Again

    EPISODE 3

    Make Native America Great Again

    Oklahoma's Republican governor Kevin Stitt is a card-carrying member of the Cherokee Nation. So why is he also considered the most "anti-Native governor" in history? A look at his family history reveals some wild surprises, and shows how Indigenous identity can be used as a weapon against Native nations. Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free.  Sponsors: AG1, BetterHelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  4. Pretendian Hunters

    EPISODE 4

    Pretendian Hunters

    What happens when Pretendian investigations go wrong? Robert talks to Jacqueline Keeler, the person behind the “Alleged Pretendians List". Then, he talks to Kiros Auld, whose name appeared on that controversial list. The problem? Kiros is legitimately Native. Editors Note - An earlier version of this episode stated that "the Pamunkey Indian Tribe is the only federally recognized tribe in the state of Virginia" Since publishing it was brought to our attention that The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is one of seven federally recognized tribes in the state of Virginia. ​​Pretendians cannot get made without you. Become a Canadaland Supporter and get every episode one week early and ad-free. Sponsors: Betterhelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  5. Johnny Depp and the Hollywood Phonies

    EPISODE 5

    Johnny Depp and the Hollywood Phonies

    There are no shortage of stories about movie stars who played Native and kept the act going even after the cameras stopped rolling. Iron Eyes Cody, Sacheen Littlefeather, and Johnny Depp – being a Pretendian is a Hollywood tradition! A history of how they did it, and how well they were paid for it.  ​​Pretendians cannot get made without you. Become a Canadaland Supporter and get every episode one week early and ad-free. Sponsors: AG1 Betterhelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  6. Indigenish

    EPISODE 6

    Indigenish

    What makes people fake being Native? How do they explain it once the truth comes out? And is there any way to be not Native, but….Native adjacent? We talk to three people who lived it. ​​Pretendians cannot get made without you. Become a Canadaland Supporter and binge the entire first season ad-free. Sponsors: AG1 Betterhelp You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  7. Bonus: Kudos and Karendians

    EPISODE 7

    Bonus: Kudos and Karendians

    Robert and Angel take listeners under the hood of season one of Pretendians. They dig deep into the positive feedback, unexpected outcomes, as well as the criticism of the show so far. They discuss topics for future seasons and reveal what they missed in the first six episodes. Includes updates on “Grand Chief” Guillaume Carle (episode 1), the definition of a “Karendian” (episode 4), and why AI makes the best songs about Pretendians.  ​​Pretendians cannot get made without you. Become a Canadaland Supporter and binge the entire first season ad-free. Sponsors: AG1: Pretendians listeners get a free 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 and 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/pretendians.  BetterHelp: Pretendians listeners head to https://betterhelp.com/pretendians to get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month. Discount code “pretendians” will be automatically applied. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  8. Coming Soon: Pretendians (Official Trailer)

    SEASON 4 TRAILER

    Coming Soon: Pretendians (Official Trailer)

    What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.   From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not.  So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?   Find out on Tuesday, May 14. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
See All Season 4 (8)

Trailers

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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.  There are hundreds of cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not. So why do these so-called “pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?  In each episode of this riveting new podcast series, co-hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) and Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) reveal unbelievable stories of audacious fraudsters and investigate the complex phenomenon of Indigenous identity theft.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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