As I first arrived in North Dakota at Standing Rock reservation, one of the first questions I was asked was: Where did you come from? I thought it was a straight forward question, so I answered with a straight response, listing the place I was currently living: Tulsa, OK. Then I was given gentle clarification with a followup question: Who are your people?

In a time when this deep question has very real social and political ramifications, it is time we engage it.