REPUBIC OF ANIYUNWIYA

Who Is the True American Indian?

“We were here before the ships. Before the names. Before the reclassification. We are still here.”

The true American Indian is not a myth, nor a museum relic. The true American Indian is the original copper-colored inhabitant of the American continent, described in the earliest dictionaries and journals as the native people seen by European explorers.

Contrary to the confusion imposed by colonial systems, many of today’s so-called “African Americans” are, in fact, descendants of these very Indigenous Nations. Through a series of strategic laws and social reclassifications—such as the 1662 doctrine Partus Sequitur Ventrem (Childbirth Follows the Womb) and forced removals—our identity was rewritten, our names erased, and our connection to our land intentionally obscured.

Yet, our language, stories, and sacred connection to this land endure. We are the Aniyunwiya, and we carry the memory of this continent in our blood, our bones, and our spirit.

  • We are the ones who tilled this soil before it was called America.
  • We are the ones who knew the constellations before telescopes named them.
  • We are the true Americans—not because we seek permission, but because we are the origin.

Why This Matters

As the African Union declares 2025 the Year of “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” we call attention to an overlooked truth: many classified as African descent are, in truth, Indigenous to Turtle Island (North America). Reparative justice must include the recognition of this historical fact and the right to reclaim identity, land, and dignity.

Our Declaration

  • We are not a displaced African people.
  • We are not a vanished tribe.
  •  We are the sovereign descendants of the Aniyunwiya and other Indigenous Nations.
  • We are the true American Indians, standing in the light of our ancestors and the truth.

Proclamation: Reclaiming our true identity

Whereas the Republic of Aniyunwiya, as the rightful inheritors of this land, has endured centuries of erasure and oppression at the hands of colonial powers.

Whereas the Papal Bull “Inter Caetera,” issued by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, perpetuated the Doctrine of Discovery, which laid the groundwork for the exploitation and colonization of Ab Original lands by European powers.

Whereas, the Trail of Tears, spanning from 1831 to 1850, forcibly displaced over half a million of our ancestors from their homelands, inflicting immense suffering and loss upon our people.

Whereas the early 1900s witnessed further injustices as new settlers imported ethnic Mongols from Asia, subjected them to cultural erasure in Catholic boarding schools, and reclassified them as “Native Americans,” while educators like Albert Bushnell Hart and Walter Ashby Plecker propagated harmful narratives and policies aimed at marginalizing our true heritage.

Whereas we, the descendants of the true Ab Original Americans, known as Aniyunwiya, have seen our ethnicity distorted and dehumanized through labels such as “barbarous savages,” “negro,” “colored,” “black,” and “African American,” further severing our connection to our ancestral lands.

Therefore, be it proclaimed:

We reclaim our rightful identity as Aniyunwiya, the true Ab Original Americans, reaffirming our ancestral ties to this land and rejecting all attempts to erase or distort our heritage.

We denounce the Doctrine of Discovery and all forms of colonial oppression, asserting our inherent right to self-determination and sovereignty over our territories.

We honor the memory of our ancestors who endured untold suffering and injustice, pledging to preserve their legacy and uphold their dignity.

We demand recognition and respect for our unique identity, history, and contributions to the rich tapestry of North America, challenging all narratives that seek to diminish or erase our existence.