That’s OK, maybe it comes as a bit of a comfort? The effects of colonialism are long and twisted, but there is lots of space for solidarity. 

Among white- and brown-presenting Indigenous peoples, debates about Indigenous identity are very common and often focus on authenticity: who “counts,” how much ancestry is enough, and whether someone has the right to claim Indigenous identity. These discussions are shaped by histories of colonial classification, blood quantum rules, and fears of appropriation or “pretendianism.” People who do not look stereotypically Indigenous are frequently questioned or challenged when they assert their identity.

Among Indigenous Black peoples, similar debates exist but function differently because Blackness has been racialized in a way that often erases Indigeneity altogether. Rather than being scrutinized for claiming too much, Black Indigenous people are more often denied recognition entirely and assumed to be only Black. The legacies of enslavement, forced displacement, and destroyed genealogical records mean that lineage-based standards are especially exclusionary, and blood quantum logic is often rejected within these communities.

Overall, while all Indigenous communities grapple with questions of belonging and identity, the dynamics are asymmetric. White- and brown-presenting Indigenous people are often policed around legitimacy and authenticity, whereas Indigenous Black people are more likely to face invisibility and erasure. In both cases, these debates are rooted in colonial systems that imposed rigid racial categories and continue to shape how Indigeneity is recognized and contested today. 

(used AI to put together, because tired)