09 October 2025

Dina Gilio-Whitaker on how California commodified Native identity

Dina Gilio-Whitaker, author of the new book “Who Gets to Be Indian? explores how California became ground zero for Native American identity fraud — from Hollywood’s early film lots to today’s casino capitalism and tribal disenrollment crisis. The state’s confluence of entertainment industry, counterculture movements, federal relocation programs, and gaming wealth created perfect conditions for “Indianness” to become commodified, challenging authentic tribal sovereignty and belonging across the nation.

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