21 episodes
Pretendians Canadaland Beyond
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- True Crime
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4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
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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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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
Customer Reviews
Incredible podcast that everyone should listen to
I learned so much from this podcast, even though I was already familiar with the concept and some of the high profile offenders. As a professor of American art, podcasts like this are indispensable in helping me to unlearn and relearn so much of the history of N. America. I binged all available episodes and really hope there is a season 2. Would love to see the hosts dig into the art world and help us navigate the rumors as well as the outing of several prominent artists who claim Native identities. Thank you. Your podcast is informative, fair, empathetic, and entertaining.
Thank you
Thanks for telling us your story, your truth, your life! As a Lumbee I know our story must be told as well! Or maybe it’s just another story of the indigenous getting used, abused, stepped on and stepped over by the whites. Anyway love your work!
Good podcast with awful Ai music clips
Love the show but find the use of Ai music segments highly disappointing.
I hope they reconsider the use of Ai music.