Performance of Authenticity

Proving that they are a tribe to the state, the Mashpee have to perform their authenticity in the theater of court. Elaborate performance of authenticity shows that you are not authentic, yet to be considered authentic you have to perform your authenticity (Clifford, 1988). A Clifford paradox.

Reference

Clifford, James. (1988). “Identity in Mashpee” in “The Predicament of Culture.”