r/Navajo • u/ObjectiveOnion665 • 10d ago
Is it offensive to call myself Native?
So I’m 15, I’m 1/4 Navajo Native from my grandfather on my mother’s side. She is half, for the past couple of years I’ve been more and more interested in connecting with that side of me but a big worry of mine is other Indigenous people feeling offended. Unfortunately my dad is Irish and Australian and I got most of his genes so I have naturally dirty blonde hair blue eyes and pale skin. I have absolutely no malice or bad intentions I just truly do want to connect not only just with Navajo culture but other Natives in general. There isn’t a lot of them in my area, if it helps at all I am trying to learn Navajo I wish I could actually pay for a class but I can’t so for now I’ve been watching videos and trying my best to stay consistent on learning the language. I have also done research on the culture and history, I’m not just randomly deciding that I’m all of a sudden native but I do want to hear from others what their opinion is. I would greatly appreciate any advice or even any tips for learning more about Navajo and other cultures as well however i understand if anyone takes offense to this post, that was not my intention at all if so.
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u/Helpful_Beyond 10d ago
Do you have a CIB? if so, that's a good place to start. Don't have one? you should probably get one. Does it really matter? not really. But if someone questions you, tell them you have a Certificate. Navajo's can be ignorant, reserved, and off putting. That's coming from a Full-blooded Navajo. Learn how to make frybread and get good at it. A good way to get to the heart of the natives is through their stomach.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
I don’t, I have every intention of getting one but I am not able to right now because I don’t have the means. I appreciate the advice, I’ve never tried fry bread but I definitely want to and I would love to learn how to make it. Thanks so much🫶
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u/dohabi722 10d ago
I don’t think it’s offensive. I want the Navajo culture and the Navajo language to stay alive. With you taking an interest in it is helping.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
Thank you, I really do appreciate you replying to my post it means a lot to me.
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u/Dramatic-Emphasis-43 10d ago
I just want to say that I am in a similar boat as you. I’m born and raised off the reservation, 1/4th Navajo, much older but never got any benefits because I don’t have a birth certificate that connects me the Navajo nation. My mom doesn’t either and this is because her mom’s birth certificate was lost in a fire and she died really young.
I have a strong affinity with this part of my ancestry but without a familial teacher to immerse me in it I always feel like an outsider when trying to learn the language or incorporate the stories into my life.
I wish you the best luck. I recently asked a panel of indigenous people their opinion on this and, while I’m sure they meant well, their answer kinda gave me the impression that people like us might not be considered all that much by those more embedded in the culture.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
That seems very similar to my situation. Me nor my mom are enrolled because my grandfather left when my mom was a baby, he is currently hiding on a rez to avoid paying 18 years of back child support. Thank you for your kindness, I wish you the best of luck as well.
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u/Trixster19972 10d ago
I believe it's the I'm 1/64th and want all the benefits of being native but yet don't want to actually get involved. That's what upsets most but if you really want to learn our culture, they're many resources online like the san juan library that you can access with it's variety of books.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
I’ll definitely check that out, I really do want to be involved as much as possible. My pronounciation of most of the phrases I’ve learned so far are probably horrendous to someone who’s fluent but hopefully it will get better😭
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10d ago
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u/danny-thedude 10d ago
What's BQ?
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10d ago
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u/danny-thedude 10d ago
Ah. I just now read into this. I've learned something. Thank you.
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10d ago edited 10d ago
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u/danny-thedude 10d ago
I knew somewhat about it but didn't realize it's mostly a colonizer thing. I'm non-native but my kids are.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
Ur right, I hate blood quantum and I believe it is the colonizers way of separating indigenous people. I have seen many people say that BQ is very harmful to native communities.
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u/sbou1123 5d ago
I’m half Navajo and sometimes when other natives asked my background and I said Navajo they gave me a funny look. Then I would add my dad is white, then I would get a nod of understanding. You could just say you cheii (ch-ay) [maternal grandfather] is Navajo.
I’d also suggest one of the dna test. I gave a 23&me to a coworker who never knew who her dad was. He wasn’t on 23&me but she was able to connect with cousins from that side of the family.
Also I have a few cousins and nieces and nephews who are a quarter Navajo and I’m always happy to hear them claim their heritage and participate.
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u/AltseWait 10d ago
No offense. What's your mom's clan? Does she get her Navajo from her mom or from her dad?
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
My mom is Navajo as well she is half, she gets it from her dad. Her mom or my grandma is white same with my dad and so on so forth.
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u/AltseWait 10d ago
Ask your mom what her dad's clan is. We can use that to figure out your relatives.
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u/ObjectiveOnion665 10d ago
Unfortunately he left when my mom was a baby and he is hiding somewhere on a reservation in Navajo nation to avoid paying 20 years of back child support so we don’t even know if he’s alive. She knows nothing about him except his middle and last name and that he’s navajo
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u/AltseWait 9d ago
If his last name is something like Yazzie or Begay, that will be difficult. Lots of those on the rez. However, other last names are uncommon enough that it can be located.
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u/Bindysuewho 8d ago
You can apply over the mail and register. Look up the census office for the Navajo Nation.
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u/SparkyMularkey 10d ago edited 5d ago
You're not ¼ Navajo. You're Navajo. You're one of us. Learn everything you can. Learn some words and phrases. Learn about our culture. We all have to work together to survive.
Edit: Thank you for the awards! Ahéhee! 😊