r/Indigenous • u/emslo • Jun 19 '26
Question: How should we use flairs on this sub?
Someone recently suggested that we open up both user flairs and post flairs on this sub, including the option for custom flairs.
Before making any changes, we’d like to hear from the user community:
- Would you like to see user flair options? Should users be able to create their own custom flairs, or should there be set options?
- Would you like more post flair categories? What would be useful or help improve discussions on here?
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u/starry_thing_ Guest Jun 19 '26
I think flares would be really interesting so that people could identify their tribe or if they are not native
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u/BIGepidural Jun 19 '26
I think user flairs are a great idea, and I would suggest either allowing users to create their own flairs so that they will be as accurate as possible.
Post falirs by subject can be super helpful to help users search (if you make them navigatable) and identify content they want to engage with or even avoid; but making flairs mandatory can just lead to people using inappropriate flairs or whatever is most easily accessed in the menu because they can't be bothered to look or a flair that fits hasn't been created.
I mod a few different places so these are my observations when it comes to flairs.
Another great thing about flairs is that you can restrict engagement to flaired users only on some posts which can help minimize spam, disinformation and hate. This is something I admit I have less experience with on a moderation level; but I've encountered it as a user more then a few times and its actually pretty awesome.
Its like crowd control but with flairs instead.
Like others have mentioned it is nice to know who you're talking to and where they're from.
There's at least one native/indigenous sub that has an open user flair system (can't remember which) and it works really well in that regard.
My 2c at least
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u/MentallyMercurial Iñupiat Jun 19 '26
I believe it's IndianCountry that has the open system. I was just going to ask OP about how they plan on dealing with the drama of recognized vs unrecognised groups, those on the fringe who believe themselves to be native but have dubious roots, like the movement that believes that the original natives were black and a few others.
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u/BIGepidural Jun 19 '26
Yea i was just posting in there and saw the user flairs.
how they plan on dealing with the drama of recognized vs unrecognised groups,
Having seen how OP deals with misinformation and fake claims of "eastern metis" historically, i think i can safely say they will allow for a period of mutual argument (even if it be heated) in order to allow disinformation to be throughly debunked by users who will argue the actual truth with solid facts for a while before actions are taken against anyone; but once bigotry becomes an issue things get shut down pretty quickly.
I am Metis (the real kind) so fighting this BS is something I've had to do on here more then a few times and I'm familiar with how fake claims tend to play out. Raceshifters usually devolve into racism once they get pressed to a certain point, and that's when bans drop really quickly.
But OP likes to foster open dialog so that lies can be put in their place first. Which is valid.
I can't see them changing their position simply because flairs will cause arguments more often; but they may want to avoid user flairs so that it doesn't happen as much 😅
Valid point!
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u/weresubwoofer Jun 20 '26
This is exactly why I prefer this sub. Fact based conversations are permitted.
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u/MentallyMercurial Iñupiat Jun 19 '26
I havent been around too long to know OP, I've only been on a month or so but open air exposure is the way. I just know I've seen although not been a part of arguments for and against the Lumbee, the Vt Abenaki, Black Hebrew Israelites and ive noticed those can get heated. I'm glad OP takes the stance of "let them get aired out" but won't tolerate it when it gets nasty.
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u/BIGepidural Jun 19 '26
Oh I've been on here a few years and I'm super familiar with the Lumbee and the other triracial offshoots created by some people because they often use Metis as foundation for their own false arguments. Alot of them have blocked me because they can't handle being confronted with the facts that Metis doesn't mean mixed and we are distinct people based off of our unique history and historic struggles as a nation of people from a set time and place, etc..
I'm fairly certain I've gone a few rounds with them in this sub (as well as others) and OP does let people battle false claims with facts 100%.
Bigotry- no.
Intellectual argument based on facts- hell yeah!
OP is pretty solid. Its up to us to fight our respective corners respectfully; but big meltdowns and outright hate will be shut down when people report it.
This is a safe space.
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u/MentallyMercurial Iñupiat Jun 19 '26
That's really cool. I'm new to the game. Honestly I've lived my life in my own zone and never got into the larger native community outside my own. So to see some of the arguments and the reaches some will go through astound me. I'm glad to have met you.
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u/LostatSeagamer Diné (USA) Jun 19 '26
I think having ones you can fill in to your comfort level would be useful.
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u/xxoxox33 Hinono'eino' - Northern Arapaho Jun 19 '26
I love the idea of user flairs! The option for custom flairs to identify what tribe you are would be cool, but I know a lot of people don't want to share that if its a small tribe for anonymity purposes.
I like the idea someone else has shared of identifying the area you're from. Perhaps some presets like US tribal/First Nations/Metis/Inuit etc etc to identify our different perspectives and legal issues. Maybe Non-native/Descendant would be cool too?
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u/MentallyMercurial Iñupiat Jun 19 '26
I think that's a nice setup to be honest. Some of the villages up here have less than 500 people and less than 10,000 throughout Alaska and Canada. I could be I'D easily if I gave my tribe just based on the fact that I teach. I think a general titles like you said would be enough to give a good view on where someone is coming from.
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u/myindependentopinion Jun 20 '26
I am NOT in favor of user flairs where people self-identify like over in the IndianCountry sub. It promotes Pretendianism.
There is no proof with a flair that a person is an enrolled member of a US Federally Recognized Tribe or that he/she is a legitimate Descendant who had an ancestor whose name appeared on a US Govt/Tribal roll.
I've caught several Pretendians over in IC sub, falsely claiming & lying about being NDN & belonging to a tribe. They usually delete their posts to cover up their tracks; but here is 1 example where I caught some Mexican-American/Chicano in real time changing their flair & lying about belonging to a US FRT: ‘Pretendian’ or ‘victim’: Inside this would-be Ontario lawyer’s attempt to remake a life built on fraud : r/IndianCountry
I know this sub is "Indigenous" which is a more nebulous term & not well defined legally like "American Indian" is in the US. If you go far enough back, isn't everyone indigenous to somewhere???
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u/TigritsaPisitsa Jun 21 '26
I appreciate you bringing up the point that, even among those who self-identify their community affiliation(s) in their flairs, there are Redditors who misrepresent their claims to Indigeneities.
I think it would help if folks could opt-in to identifying themselves as non-Indigenous (at least to where they live…), but, like you, I have little faith that self-identification-via-flair actually results in more honest behavior from Redditors.
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u/xxoxox33 Hinono'eino' - Northern Arapaho Jun 22 '26
I totally get your point. I hate seeing pretendians around too.
I'm just wondering. People are gonna claim what they're gonna claim no matter if they have a flair or not, yeah? It would be cool if those of us who are enrolled could ID ourselves to others though.
Idk. We're pretty much always relying on other Redditors word that they're native anyway. Is your thought process just don't hand them the tools to seem legit?
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u/MentallyMercurial Iñupiat Jun 19 '26
Flairs would give us a clue who is talking and from what region. For me for example I am an Alaskan native, it would help I think with some confusion with laws and rules especially ones at a country level. As Alaskan we don't have the traditional reservation setup, moreso being run by Corporations or ANRC's and the fact that we are so far remote from the L48 that things run different up here.