For much of U.S. history, being Indian was not a helpful thing; the opposite, in fact, was true, David Treuer writes. But material benefits have led to outsiders trying to claim Native identity. Who gets to be Indian, and who decides?

For much of U.S. history, being Indian was not a helpful thing; the opposite, in fact, was true, David Treuer writes. But material benefits have led to outsiders trying to claim Native identity. Who gets to be Indian, and who decides?