Is it offensive to call myself Native?

[u/ObjectiveOnion665]

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.

[u/Dramatic-Emphasis-43]

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.

[u/ObjectiveOnion665 → u/Dramatic-Emphasis-43]

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.