Indigenous Leaders and the Undocumented Community Unite to Challenge the Meaning of American Citizenship

Indigenous leaders united with the undocumented community to challenge the idea of American citizenship last Thursday in Washington, DC.

“We are often described as the first Americans, but we were actually the last Americans to be recognized by the United States Congress,” says Jodi Archambault Gillette of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Native Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924. Before that, they were required to have documents to leave their reservations.

“It feels...like we’re the lie that people in America don’t want the world to know about,” says Gillette.

Fusion was a co-sponsor of the Define American event.

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