Jacqueline Keeler facts for kids
Jacqueline Keeler is a Native American writer and activist. She is a member of the Navajo Nation and also has family from the Yankton Dakota tribe. She helped start a group called Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry (EONM). This group works to stop the use of Native American groups as sports mascots. They also want to end other harmful stereotypes.
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Early life and Family
Jacqueline Keeler was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents moved there because of government programs in the 1950s and 1960s. These programs, run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, moved many Native American families from their homes.
She went to Dartmouth College. She is part of the Kinyaa'áanii (Towering House clan) and is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. Her mother's family comes from Cameron, Arizona. Her grandparents were traditional Diné (another name for Navajo people). They did not speak English and ran a ranch near the Grand Canyon. Her father was a member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe from South Dakota.
Her grandmother, Marjorie Keeler, came from an important Dakota family. She was related to many well-known Native American leaders and thinkers. For example, she was the cousin of Vine Deloria Jr., a famous Lakota historian. She was also the niece of Ella Deloria, a Yankton Dakota expert in language and culture. Her great-niece was Susan Bordeaux Bettelyoun, a Lakota author.
Working for Change
Jacqueline Keeler's writings are often about her work as an activist. She has been quoted and published widely.
Ending Offensive Mascots
Keeler helped create Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry (EONM). This group became very well known during the 2014 Super Bowl. They started the hashtag #NotYourMascot, which became very popular online. EONM works to stop the use of Native American groups as mascots. They also fight against other stereotypes in popular culture.
Keeler explained that "Native Mascotry" is more than just a picture. It includes how fans act, like wearing "Redface" (dressing up in a disrespectful way). It also includes misusing Native clothing or doing fake "war chants." She says these actions allow people to "play Indian," which is harmful and disrespectful. Keeler has spoken to many news groups about these stereotypes.
Supporting Native Rights
Her activism also focuses on important issues for Native peoples. She supports traditional Native values and Indigenous rights. She also works on issues of Indigenous sovereignty. This means Native nations having the right to govern themselves.
Investigating False Claims
In 2021, Keeler started looking into people who falsely claim to be Native American. These people are sometimes called "Pretendians." She noticed that some people she reported on were not actually Native.
Working with other Native people, she began researching family histories. They looked back hundreds of years to see if people had Native ancestors. This research led to the "Alleged Pretendians List." Keeler shared this list online in 2021.
Keeler says the list only includes public figures. These are people who are making money or gaining power by falsely claiming to be Native. She stresses that the list is "Alleged" because it is based on ongoing research. Many Native leaders support her work. Keeler says the list shows how common this problem is. She wants to stop non-Native people from speaking for Native tribes.
Author and Books
Jacqueline Keeler is also an author. She wrote a book called Standoff: Standing Rock, the Bundy Movement, and the American Story of Sacred Lands. Another Native author, Louise Erdrich, praised the book. She said it explains the history of land rights for Native peoples. The book talks about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock.
In 2017, Keeler also edited a book called Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears. This book has fifteen different writers, poets, and activists. They all write about efforts to protect the Bears Ears National Monument.
