Lost Identity Without Paperwork? You’re Not Alone – A Message to the Disconnected and Dismissed

“Lost Identity Without Paperwork? You’re Not Alone – A Message to the Disconnected and Dismissed

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

I submitted everything I could to Indigenous Services Canada — baptism certificate, family history, names passed down. But no birth certificate claiming “Songhees,” no official death record either.
And their answer?
“You’re French.”
🥴😢

That’s how it is for so many of us.

We come from mixed roots, deep ties, and living stories — but if it’s not on colonial paper, they act like we don’t exist.

Let’s be honest: back then, paperwork didn’t exist.
Births happened at home, not in hospitals. People didn’t get official IDs. They were known by their family, their clan, their community. There was no “Métis” checkbox — that came later. Before that, we were called “half-breeds” or “mixed” or worse — labels made by colonizers to control.

And now, in 2025, they want us to digitize our bloodlines, prove our identities with forms and barcodes, while the systems they built erase the reality we lived.

Remember the treaties? Misunderstood, ignored, broken — not because our ancestors didn’t try, but because the values weren’t aligned. We spoke of respect, land, and future generations. They saw resources, profit, power.

Now we’re supposed to trust the same system that ignored Wampum belts and sacred agreements… to define who we are?

How many people are sitting alone right now, trying to explain their family story to a bureaucrat or fill out a form, only to be told:
“Sorry, you don’t qualify.”

If that’s you — I see you.

You are not lost. You are not invisible. You are not wrong.

You’re part of a bigger story. One where truth doesn’t need paper. One where our existence, our bloodlines, our roots — live beyond documents.

🪶 Keep telling your story.
🪶 Honour your truth.
🪶 And know: you are not alone.

Feel free to share your story below or just know someone out here understands.
– Tina Winterlik / Zipolita

Bill C-53 and the Debate Over 'Pretendians'

 Bill C-53 and the Debate Over 'Pretendians'

I asked AI about Bill C-53, and here’s what it said:

Bill C-53, officially titled the Recognition of Certain Métis Governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan and Métis Self-Government Act, was introduced in Canada to recognize certain Métis governments and provide a framework for self-governance. The goal was to affirm the Métis Nation’s right to self-determination, particularly in areas such as citizenship, elections, and social services.

However, concerns quickly arose regarding individuals falsely claiming Indigenous identity—often referred to as "pretendians"—who might exploit the bill to access resources meant for Indigenous communities. Organizations like the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI) warned that fraudulent claims could undermine Indigenous rights and funding allocations.

Due to these concerns and a court ruling invalidating parts of the bill, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced in December 2024 that Bill C-53 would be paused. This decision followed the withdrawal of support from Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, further complicating its progress.

The term "pretendian" has gained traction in discussions about Indigenous identity fraud, highlighting the need for stricter verification measures to protect Indigenous communities from exploitation. But Indigenous identity is incredibly complex, and policies like Bill C-53 raise deeper questions about who has the right to claim that identity and how it should be verified.

Personal Reflection:

The Métis identity debate is super complicated. You shouldn't be profiting from ceremony, but what happens when identity is contested at the government level?

For example, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) lists me as French because my great-grandparents claimed that on the 1921 census. But if you go back to the 1881 census, my family was listed as Portuguese and Indian. I’ve traced my lineage back over four generations, and my DNA shows 9% Indigenous ancestry—but that doesn’t count for official recognition. If a community doesn’t claim you, then what?

I took a Truth & Reconciliation Carving course—supposedly, I’ve done "the work." But I don’t advertise myself as Métis because it’s SO CONTROVERSIAL. Instead, I say I have Indigenous ancestry mixed with Portuguese, Swedish, Kalapuya, Iroquois, French, Sooke, Songhees, Bohemian—Canadian.

In BC, during the 1800s, people of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry were called "Half Breeds." But in Red River and Saskatchewan, Métis identity is distinct—you have to have Cree heritage, and for many, it's almost like a religion.

I don’t trust anyone to define my identity for me. You have to find yourself, dig deep into your roots—and it’s hard because you will uncover things you might not want to know.

Be careful out there. Trust no one but yourself. 🤔😢