I've heard some people -- especially in New Age circles -- say that white people have to preserve Native heritages because it's dying out among the Natives. This is not true, but it's a lie told often enough that some people believe it.
On the other hand, folks with remote Native heritage who were raised in mainstream society yet feel that ancestral pull would do better to get real. Look into actual issues that face Natives today -- issues of health, environmental justice, and sovereignty. Drop the feathers and dreamcatchers and ally to those issues. Don't say you're Indian -- you have to be a member of an Indigenous nation and culture to say that -- just recognize that many of these issues impact Natives disproportionately yet affect us all. None of us are free till all of us are free. And remember -- when allying oneself with marginalized peoples, walk gently, speak only when spoken to, and respect their leadership.
It is true what Ms. Effner said. The US government tried real hard to wipe out Native identities, and these efforts contribute to the mis-appropriation of Native identities today. Here's a music video telling of some of these efforts in the Native boarding schools. Check it out ...
