Many are familiar with Metis people and their mixed lineage (Indigenous people + European settlers); however, much less know about Afro-Indigenous people and their history. Afro-Indigenous people are individuals with both African and Indigenous heritage. Historically, certain Indigenous groups have had close relations with African Americans, especially in regions where slavery was prevalent or where free people of colour resided. Today, there is a large population of Afro-Indigenous people in the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Wampanoag nations.
The intersectionality that comes with being Afro-Indigenous also comes with struggles within Indigenous and Black communities. Colourism, native tribe membership, and a general hesitancy to embrace mixed culture and people. Afro-Indigenous people have faced complex government laws and social constructs such as blood quantum laws and the one-drop rule. The blood quantum law was created by the US government to determine how much “Indian blood” an Indigenous person has to see if they qualify for tribal enrolment. On the other side of the coin, the one-drop rule declared that if a person had even one Black ancestor then they were to be classified as Black. This has forced many Afro-Indigenous people to ‘deny’ their indigeneity and which has significantly decreased tribal enrollment.
Indigenous and African American groups actually have many similar struggles. Many Afro-Indigenous people feel the heavy burden of systemic racism against Indigenous and Black individuals. This includes racism in healthcare, high incarceration rates, and poverty. In Canada, Indigenous people make up approximately 37% of the prison population, which is wildly disproportionate to the overall 4% Indigenous population in the nation. In America, a 2013 study found that Black babies had the highest rate of infant mortality at a rate of 11 out of 1,000.
Comments