Pretendian: a pejorative colloquialism describing a person who has falsely claimed Indigenous identity by professing to be a citizen of a Native American or Indigenous Canadian tribal nation, or to be descended from Native American or Indigenous Canadian ancestors.

My background: I'm a Kanyen'kehà:ka/Mohawk (First Nations Canadian) member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) raised in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and have mixed Algonquin and European-settler ancestry on my mom's side. Though I have dark features, my skin is a light-olive tone and I can present as white which I recognize is a privilege that affords me day to day safety, preferential treatment and many other benefits. I am always sure to name this privilege as it's important to talk about. 

Well friends, it happened.

I got called a "pretendian" in comments on my Meta ads which run to a "cold" audience (people who don't know me or my work). 

The ads promote my free e-book, a...