I'm noticably lighter in color than my sister.
At the first hint of summer, we head for the beach, even if it's really too cold to swim for long. We bring everything that day: beach blankets, towels, campchairs, snacks and a big Thermos full of iced-tea. We're already dressed in our swimsuits (she buys a new one each year, and starts the first day out complaining and enquiring about how she looks in it, I've worn the same suit for the past 6 years now, and I'm not planning on buying a new one this year, either.) and we have a variety of sunscreens. SPF for the girls of 45, and a lesser one of 15 for us.
By that first day, we've both turned a darker shade. By evening, the straps on each of our bodies are highly visible, her's moreso. I've got a lighter tan than she, but my first tan of the year is generally what my non-Native friends strive for the whole summer. My sister already has a darker, tone that deepens daily. By the end of the season, her arms look like chocolate and her face seems more mellow.
When we visit the rez, its easy to identify others based on color. Typically, the lighter people are the younger, newer families, and the darker ones seem to have been around forever. It's not an instant or 100% accurate identifier, but it gives general accuracy.
I'm proud of the fact that I am Native. I like hearing from my girl that she wishes that her skin was as dark as mine.
I know that my skin tone has no bearing on how I behave, and also realize that you cannot place me with every Anishnaabe and show how similar we are to each other in behaviour just because we're Native.
On the surface, you can see who I am. On the inside, you know it, too.