Additionally, identity can be multilayered. For some, a subtribal identity such as clan affiliation is primary. For others, identification with a tribe or a region like the Northern Plains is most meaningful. Still others espouse a broader identity as Native or indigenous people. Different levels of identity are likely to be presented in different contexts:"Thus, an American Indian might be a 'mixed-blood' on the reservation, from 'Pine Ridge' when speaking to someone from another reservation, an 'Oglala Sioux' or 'Lakota' when asked about tribal affiliation, or an 'American Indian' when interacting with non-Indians." Identity is a combination of self-identification and the perceptions of others. There are widespread disputes about who can assert a Native identity and who has the right to represent indigenous interests. Such conflicts occur when self-identification and the perceptions of others are at odds. Some people who assert indigenous identity do not appear phenotypically Native, are not enrolled, and were not born on reservations or in some other Native communities. Some of these individuals indeed have indigenous heritage, and others do not.
-from Indigenous Identity What is it, and Who really has it? by Hilary N. Weaver
American Indian Quarterly/Spring 2001/Vol.25, No.2 page 241-242
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