By Lee Longhorn

I once had a complex that use to drive me nuts in high school. In college, I got rid of it because a new one came into my life. I’ll talk about the latter in another entry, but the complex I had in high school was about skin color and being an identifiable American Indian. I used to think that you had to be a certain degree of tan to actually look Indian.

The smaller the quantum and darker the skin gets you more noticeable?

When I was a junior in high school, I once met another student who was Seneca-Cayuga. We were talking and I told her that I was only a 1/16 (see previous blogs for all that math) and her response was “Well, you look it.” That got me thinking. If I tell people I’m full-blooded, they may not believe me. If I tell people a certain blood quantum, they’ll believe me more because it’s a small amount. Hmmmm, which do I choose?

Every ethnic background, but American Indian

So I have this game I like to play sometimes. I try and think of a different ethnic background that I could possibly resemble. It’s quite fun. I’ve been Hispanic, Latin, Cuban, Fillipino, East Asian, Iranian and a white guy with a really good tan. My all-time favorite time I played this game was in South Dakota with my editor, Jason Begay. He asked me what kind of Indian I was and I replied with “I’m not. I’m white.” I saw confusion flash across his face. [Editor’s note: That was not confusion.] We had a small quarrel, because Jason tried to tell me that I was Indian. Granted, we were at the American Indian Journalism Institute, so the first tip-off that I may have been even part Native was the fact that I was attending this training institute.

After a few minutes, I finally told him what I was and he knew it. He’s a quick one. But, why do we go with identity and labeling people. Why must everyone always ask what kind of Indian are you? Shouldn’t it just be that I’m Lee and that’s it?

Clan systems can make labels even more difficult

In mostly all the tribes that I am affiliated with, I am a member of some clan. Clans differ from tribe to tribe and sometimes the rules of clan kinship can be confusing. In the Muscogee (Creek) side, I have a clan. On the Shawnee side, I have a clan. Yet, both tribes have different rules on how one is put into a clan.

When I was a freshman, a person once told me that “You’re not really Creek because you’re grandmother was Seneca.” I thought, that’s wrong of him to say. Why couldn’t he believe me when I said, “I’m Creek and Shawnee.” In the media, beloved muppets Bert and Ernie have been labeled as non-gendered. After living together they are “just friends.” Why is there so much attention on these two beloved characters? Why label them as gay or straight? They’re just Bert and Ernie who taught kids lessons like not being afraid of taking a bath. Quit labeling everything in society.

Labels affect other areas too

I have a brother who likes being in same-sex relationships. Yet, I find myself labeling him as “my gay brother.” I’m beginning to see from the opposite side that sometimes we have to label people because I think we have to label everything.

In school, I noticed that jokingly, American Indian students would joke with one another about being a member of a certain tribe. Example, “Oh, she’s Choctaw” or “Dang, Cheyenne.” Maybe it’s just something that is common among American Indians nowadays. I don’t mind it, but sometimes I hate when others try and tell you what you are and not what you say you are.

Let me tell you what I am

I feel that now is the time to get away from blood quantum and labels. Instead of looking at someone as a tribe or as a fraction, look at them as the individual first. A few weeks ago, I once had someone try and tell me what tribe I was because of my relation to another person. I felt that this individual doesn’t know me from Adam and that I should tell him what I am and who I am. Let’s start off with the right foot and let me say “My name is Lee.”

Lee Longhorn is an intern reporter with the Muscogee Nation News.