Interview with a Pretendian | Pretendians #1

05/14/24 • 37 min

1 Listener

The Copernic Affair | Canadaland Investigates

Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that.

He’s not just your average imposter – "Grand Chief" Guillaume Carle is the king of the “pretendians", a French Canadian who made a small fortune creating his own fake First Nation and issuing phony Indian Status Cards to thousands of other identity thieves.

Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free.

Sponsors: AG1 Betterhelp

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free.

Sponsors: AG1 Betterhelp

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Coming Soon: Pretendians (Official Trailer)

What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.

From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not.

So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?

Find out on Tuesday, May 14.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Pretending in Prison | Pretendians #2

Marvin "Casper" Ouimet was your ordinary terrifying Hells Angel mob boss until he was sent to prison for conspiracy to commit murder. That's where he declared himself to be Indigenous. The prison asked no questions, and granted him access to a special program for Native inmates, in which prisoners get private cells, spiritual guidance, better food and ultimately – reduced sentences. But what about the real Natives in these programs?

Hosts: Robert Jago & Angel Ellis

Credits: Jesse Brown (Publisher, Executive Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor, Mixer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Pretendians cannot get made without you. For a limited time, become a Canadaland Supporter for just $2/month and get every episode one week early and ad-free.

Sponsors: AG1, BetterHelp

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.