Since the early 1990’s descendants to Sámi migrants in the US, have been forming a loosely knitted community exploring different pathways to their oftentimes hidden heritage. This paper discusses how legitimacy (dis-)claims, de-colonization, complex geographical roots, differing assimilation histories and language-loss become important issues in this ongoing revitalization process. It also highlights how contemporary discussions in the US on race, belonging and “pretendians” constitutes formative conditions, and how hierarchical transnational relationships to the context of origin is affecting this process.