it’s a new word around the camp fire and i’m researching with much interest! of course there are the usual suspects at the top of the list: Joseph Boyden, Michelle Latimer, and recently, Carrie Bourassa, all 3 of them falling pretty close to the roots of the Grey Owl tree.

truth be told i was surprised to see this man’s name make the list! Dr. Thom Alcoze was a top dog at the U of S when i befuddled my way through their Native Studies Program as a spritely 22 year old, many moons ago! is it true? is Dr. Thom Alcoze a fake Indian?

here is where i saw the news:

not a lot of followers! May 2021 isn’t that long ago. btw: that is famed pretendian Michelle Latimer in the profile photo. she was the Christmas story of 2020. Joe was the Christmas story of 2016. i like how she’s wearing that big old Indian fringe jacket! if she had those sleeves rolled up you’d see those big old Indian tattoos too! just like Joe!

here is the other fake indians bit i’m following. Geoff and Jorge are writing up some pretty decent stories on the subject and i thank them both for their reporting. quite a few more followers on this site! and a few names too, that i’ve seen around the Ottawa area over the past five years. like this one:

i haven’t visited her gallery in quite a few years but the last time i was in there, it appeared she’d hit the pay dirt! the fact of the matter is, at the end of the day, she does nice work! fake indian or whatever.

as for this real indian, we’ll just have to keep our rooms warm through winter and carry on with the research, keeping our fringes crossed that we don’t make the Pretendians List! (ha ha!)

Update: November 12, 2022: I’m always on the look out for said creature: the Pretendian! To meet a real one in modern times.

I’m just now though getting wise to Sacheen Littlefeather, who played that bit at the Academy Awards in 1972! Alas! More and continued research is in store!

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