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Prof's Indian roots disputed (Churchill Lies About Indian Heritage)
Rocky Mountain News ^ | 2/4/05

Posted on 02/04/2005 4:54:22 PM PST by KidGlock

Prof's Indian roots disputed

By Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News

February 3, 2005

The United Keetoowah Band Cherokee says University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill is not a member of their tribe.

"He's not in the database at all and is not a member of the Keetoowah," said Georgia Mauldin, the tribal clerk in Tahlequah, Okla.

In his books and articles, Churchill has described himself as a member of the Keetoowah Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma. In past interviews, he's claimed to be one-sixteenth Cherokee.

But the Keetoowah say that's not true.

Attempts to contact Churchill for comment Wednesday on his background were unsuccessful. But Churchill's claim to American Indian roots has been challenged repeatedly by people in that community.

One Montana woman has an especially personal tale of confronting Churchill on his claim to American Indian heritage. She was taking one of Churchill's classes at CU in 1994 when she wrote an article for the Colorado Daily newspaper, saying there was no evidence he had any American Indian background.

"For so long it was whispered on campus that he really isn't an Indian," said Jodi Rave, who studied journalism at CU. "Here you had the director of the Indian studies program and he's not an Indian."

Rave is a Mandan-Hidatsa Indian originally from North Dakota. Today, she is a reporter and columnist with the Missoulian newspaper in Missoula, Mont. She was recently a fellow in the prestigious Nieman program for journalists at Harvard University.

In one of her journalism classes at CU, Rave was assigned to write a profile, and she decided to profile Churchill.

"To have somebody of that stature masquerading as an Indian was intriguing to me," Rave said. "On two separate days I asked him questions. I was up-front in asking him questions (about his background)."

Rave says she discovered that Churchill had enrolled in the Keetoowah tribe under a program initiated by a former tribal chairman that let almost anyone sign up. She says the Keetoowah later discontinued that program and disenrolled the people who had joined under it.

When her article came out, Rave says Churchill was furious and insisted that he did have American Indian lineage.

"He called me and said, 'Jodi Rave, this is your professor and I need to talk to you right away.' He was surprised I had a story published that called into question his identity."

He also defended his American Indian background and said her story was unfair.

Rave said she was enrolled in one of Churchill's classes when the article came out, and her grade went from an A to a C-minus.

She says Churchill can write what he wants, but his claim of American Indian heritage is bogus.

"There's no denying what he writes resonates with a lot of people, but when he says this is something he's experienced as a Native American man, that's fraudulent," Rave said.

The question of who is and who is not an American Indian is a sensitive one in that community. Many Indians resent the idea that only those who grew up on a reservation or have two American Indian parents are real Indians.

"Tracking blood lines is the business of Nazi Germany and South Africa (under apartheid)," said professor George Tinker, who teaches American Indian culture and religious tradition at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. "That's not an Indian issue at all."

Tinker said that it should be up to the tribes themselves to decide who is an Indian.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: wardchurchill
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1 posted on 02/04/2005 4:54:22 PM PST by KidGlock
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To: KidGlock

Fraud..bump


2 posted on 02/04/2005 4:56:53 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: KidGlock
"Tracking blood lines is the business of Nazi Germany and South Africa (under apartheid)," said professor George Tinker, who teaches American Indian culture and religious tradition at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

Well, looks like Roots was Nazi propaganda after all.

3 posted on 02/04/2005 4:57:27 PM PST by dirtboy (qu)
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To: KidGlock
"He's not in the database at all and is not a member of the Keetoowah,"

Perhaps he's listed under a different name. ......like Chief Running Bedwetter.

4 posted on 02/04/2005 4:58:00 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: KidGlock

Eating peyote buttons in college does not a native american make.


5 posted on 02/04/2005 4:58:43 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: Mr. Mojo

or Sitting Bullsh/tter


6 posted on 02/04/2005 4:59:39 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: KidGlock
Tinker said that it should be up to the tribes themselves to decide who is an Indian.

[Churchill said that it should be up to the individual himself to decide who is an Indian.]

7 posted on 02/04/2005 5:00:05 PM PST by shezza
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To: KidGlock; sure_fine

Phony, fake, fraud, poseur, faux-indian scumbag.


8 posted on 02/04/2005 5:01:48 PM PST by 7.62 x 51mm (• veni • vidi • vino • visa • "I came, I saw, I drank wine, I shopped")
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To: shezza


Geronimo!


9 posted on 02/04/2005 5:02:29 PM PST by Mount Athos
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To: KidGlock
Tinker said that it should be up to the tribes themselves to decide who is an Indian.

The United Keetoowah Band Cherokee says University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill is not a member of their tribe.

OK. Case closed.

10 posted on 02/04/2005 5:03:20 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: KidGlock
If this is true, that he lied in print about his Indian heritage, that may be enough for the CU trustees to fire him. Other professors have been fired for dishonesty connected to their job. And this clown is head of an American Indian program at CU.

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest, "Lies, Lying Liars, and Harry Reid"

11 posted on 02/04/2005 5:03:40 PM PST by Congressman Billybob (My tagline is on vacation.)
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To: KidGlock
"Tracking blood lines is the business of Nazi Germany and South Africa (under apartheid)," said professor George Tinker, who teaches American Indian culture and religious tradition at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. "That's not an Indian issue at all."

Really? Oh, that's good. Then I'm Cherokee too. NO, really, I am. No Joke.

I'm not on the rolls, but there are lots of cherokees like me from Oklahoma that aren't on the rolls.

12 posted on 02/04/2005 5:06:16 PM PST by narby (Evolution isn't an Intelligent design, its a Brilliant Design)
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To: KidGlock

Why is it I think the closest this guy evercame to being an Indian was once when he paid a prostitute from Calcutta.


13 posted on 02/04/2005 5:06:27 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: KidGlock

I would guess that Churchill is an opportunist as well as an ideologue.

By pretending to be a politically correct Indian, he probably got massive scholarships all the way through college and then got on the fast track to be chair of a department at a prestigious university, although he has written only one book, and a fatuous one at that.

Try checking the "White Male" box on the application forms and see if you get the same treatment.


14 posted on 02/04/2005 5:07:56 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: MEG33
Wannabees are a sad group wherever they exist.
He's in desperate need of some psychiatric counseling.
15 posted on 02/04/2005 5:08:54 PM PST by yer gonna put yer eye out (Gettin' a PhD (Prettyhard on Democrats) at FR)
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To: Cicero
You are probably right

What a despicable person!

16 posted on 02/04/2005 5:11:16 PM PST by apackof2 (optional, printed after your name on post)
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To: yer gonna put yer eye out

I just heard John Gibson interview two of his student defenders..Looks like they are going to need deprogramming.


17 posted on 02/04/2005 5:11:54 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: yer gonna put yer eye out

Anyone watching John Gibson tear some of his minions a new a**hole on the Factor?


18 posted on 02/04/2005 5:14:43 PM PST by mbennett203 ("Bulrog, a tough brute warrior who has dedicated his life to ridding the world of hippies.")
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To: sgtbono2002

Yup, and it was probably a male prostitute........
oops, am I being politically incorrect?


19 posted on 02/04/2005 5:17:35 PM PST by Enchante (Kerry's mere nuisances: Marine Barracks '83, WTC '93, Khobar Towers, Embassy Bombs '98, USS Cole!!!)
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To: KidGlock

Being part Native American and being able to document it can be two entirely different things.


20 posted on 02/04/2005 5:22:22 PM PST by elli1
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