I see that J. Boyden has benefited from stating he is indigenous.  He has had access to grants and awards for indigenous people.  He could not write what he did and have it published as a white man who was interested in the history of indigenous people.  The fact that he does not clarify how his connection justifies his claim is worrisome as one would assume that by now he would have done the research.  This is problematic as surely he does not think or hold the belief that his status will be accepted without some documentation and he has mentioned to date many tribes, surely he cannot belong to all of them.  I also question his caring about indigenous people given his treatment of the people he named in his Giller Prize Winner Black Spruce where he does not acknowledge his sources, names people without permission, and to this I say, if he were truly indigenous he would ot treat his own people the way he does.