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 Yankton Dakota heritage. She helped start a group called Eradicating Offensive Offensive Native Mascotry (EONM). This group works to stop the use of Native American groups as sports mascots. They also fight against other harmful stereotypes.

Growing Up and Family Roots

Jacqueline Keeler was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents moved there because of special government programs in the 1950s and 1960s. These programs, from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, moved Native American families from reservations to cities. Jacqueline later went to Dartmouth College. She has written about important events there concerning the Native American Program.

Jacqueline is part of the Kinyaa'áanii (Towering House clan). She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. Her mother's family comes from Cameron, Arizona. Her grandmother, Jean Big Horse Canyon, was a rug weaver. Jacqueline's grandparents were traditional Diné people. They did not speak English and ran a ranch near the Grand Canyon. Her father was a citizen of the Yankton Sioux Tribe from South Dakota.

Jacqueline Keeler's family has a rich history.

Her grandmother, Marjorie Keeler, came from a well-known Dakota family. She was a cousin to Vine Deloria, Jr., a famous Lakota historian. Marjorie was also the niece of Ella Deloria, a Yankton Dakota expert in culture and language. Another uncle was the Rev. Vine Deloria, Sr. She was also the great-niece of Susan Bordeaux Bettelyoun, a Rosebud Lakota author.

Working for Change: Activism and Writing

Jacqueline Keeler's articles are often quoted and published. Much of her writing is connected to her work as an activist.

Fighting Against Native Mascots

Keeler helped create Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry (EONM). This group started the hashtag #NotYourMascot during the 2014 Super Bowl. EONM wants to end the use of racial groups as mascots. They also work to stop other stereotypes and cultural appropriation in popular culture.

Keeler explained that "Native Mascotry" is more than just a picture of a mascot. It includes how fans act, like wearing "Redface" or misusing Native clothing. It also includes fake chants and "tomahawk chops." She says these actions let people "play Indian" and use old stereotypes. Keeler has been interviewed by many news groups about these harmful stereotypes.

Investigating False Native Claims

In 2021, Keeler started looking into people who falsely claim to be Native American. This is called "self-Indigenization" in schools and other areas. She told Voice of America that as a reporter, she would find out people she was writing about were not actually Native.

Working with other Native people, they researched family histories. They looked as far back as the 1600s to see if people had Native ancestors. This research led to the "Alleged Pretendians List." Keeler shared this list as a Google spreadsheet in 2021. It includes about 200 public figures in schools and entertainment.

Some people have criticized her for this list. However, VOA reported that Keeler has strong support from many Native leaders. Keeler stresses that the list only includes public figures. These are people who are making money or gaining power from false claims of Native identity. They claim to speak for Native American tribes. Keeler told APTN that the list shows how widespread this problem is. She says many non-Natives are profiting from fraud and holding positions of power. The list is the result of many years of Native peoples working for accountability.

Authoring Books

Keeler is the author of Standoff: Standing Rock, the Bundy Movement, and the American Story of Sacred Lands. The Ojibwe author Louise Erdrich praised the book. She said it looks closely at how Indigenous people and others view land. Standoff tells the history of treaty rights and sacred places. It connects this to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock. The book also compares this to the Bundy movement, which showed a different view of land.

In 2017, Keeler also edited a book called Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears. This book has fifteen writers, poets, and activists. They write about the efforts of tribes to protect the Bears Ears by making it a national monument.