Darryl Leroux’s recent book, Distorted Descent: WhiteClaims to Indigenous Identity, traces the practice ofrace-shifting (from white to Indigenous) by white Frenchdescendants, where settlers, spurred on by their onlineand IRL communities, scour their family trees in search ofIndigenous ancestry to justify their claims to be Eastern Métis, aninvented Aboriginal nation. Leroux begins by digging deep intoonline genealogical forums, where posters often initiateconversations with questions like “I think I’m Indigenous, but Idon’t know how, can anyone help?” Invariably, help is offered.
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