Pretendianism — pretending to be an Indian for fame and fortune — has been commonplace for generations.
But since the 1982 entrenchment of special indigenous and treaty rights in Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Constitution and their gradual but relentless expansive interpretation by the courts, indigenous identity theft by non-aboriginals has skyrocketed in lock-step with the growing status, influence, privilege and wealth that faking Indian pedigree now yields.
