lakota_mami303

United Keetoowah Band Of Cherokee Indians Say Prof Presented Papers

POSTED: 6:58 am MDT May 20, 2005
UPDATED: 11:15 am MDT May 20, 2005

BOULDER, Colo. -- The Oklahoma Indian tribe that said an embattled University of Colorado professor could not prove any Cherokee ancestry now says his associated membership was based partly on genealogical information provided by him.


CU Professor Ward Church first came under fire for an article on the victims of Sept. 11. Now there are claims that he's lied about his heritage and plagiarized other people's works.


Ward Churchill, a tenured professor of ethnic studies who could lose his job over allegations that he lied about his ancestry and plagiarized others' work, said Thursday that the tribe's statement should put the issue to rest.

In a statement on its Web site, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians said Churchill had genealogical information regarding his "alleged ancestry."

In addition, based on "his willingness to assist the UKB in promoting the tribe and its causes, he was awarded an 'Associate Membership' as an honor," according to the statement. "However, Mr. Churchill may possess eligibility status for Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, since he claims 1/16 Cherokee."

However, the tribe said it had no legal record of Churchill being a federally recognized American Indian. The tribe said associate memberships, which afford no voting rights or benefits, were issued from 1991 to 1994 during former Chief John Ross' tenure.

"Receiving an Associate Membership is akin to receiving an honorary doctorate, and then claiming to have received eight years worth of university education," the statement said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Churchill said the tribe has never alleged fraud or that his membership was rescinded. He said the tribe's statement clearly confirms that genealogy was used.

"Just leave us alone," Churchill said, adding that the confusion has arisen from repeated inquiries that has overwhelmed the tribe's small staff.

Churchill said he planned to file a grievance against the university for questioning his ancestry.

Churchill touched off a firestorm when he wrote an essay comparing some World Trade Center victims to Adolf Eichmann, one of the Nazis who orchestrated the Holocaust. CU leaders said he couldn't be fired over the statements because of First Amendment protections, but they ordered a faculty panel to review the allegations of plagiarism and that he falsely claimed to be an Indian to give his research more credibility.

In a 50-page report to the university, Churchill this week denied plagiarism charges and submitted his Keetoowah Band enrollment card.

"An associate membership is not an honorific," Churchill said. "I never contended it was a full fledged membership."

He said the tribe has a right to disenroll him or ask him to resign, but that it hasn't done so.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...32/detail.html

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~*iF u dOnT kNo BaBy nOw u kNo.....bOy i KaN dO tHaT*~

Joe G

Final Statement from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Regarding Ward Churchill

May 19, 2005

Ward Churchill received an “Associate Membership” from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma (UKB) council in May, 1994. He was not eligible for tribal membership due to the fact that he does not possess a “Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood” (CDIB) which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Interior / Bureau of Indian Affairs. Because Mr. Churchill had genealogical information regarding his alleged ancestry, and his willingness to assist the UKB in promoting the tribe and its causes, he was awarded an ‘Associate Membership’ as an honor. However, Mr. Churchill may possess eligibility status for Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, since he claims 1/16 Cherokee.

“Associate Memberships” were only issued during the term of former Chief John Ross (1991 until the council voted to approve no more such memberships in July, 1994). It was made clear to all such members that they were not eligible to vote or receive any benefits. Federal law requires recipients of any benefits available to Native Americans to have a CDIB, which Mr. Churchill indicated he did not possess. The UKB’s eligibility for enrollment is based on providing documented evidence of direct lineage to the Dawes Roll enrollees, or to the 1949 UKB roll. Receiving an Associate Membership is akin to receiving an honorary doctorate, and then claiming to have received eight years worth of university education.

Employers regularly contact the tribal office to verify candidate employees’ claims of being American Indian through the tribal issuance of an Indian Preference letter, which is also approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Because Mr. Churchill does not have a CDIB, the UKB would not issue such a letter, if requested. There is no legal record of Mr. Churchill being a federally recognized Native American in the tribal office. Associate memberships are awarded to non-tribal applicants, while eligible tribal members are enrolled into the tribe. Mr. Churchill was never enrolled as a member, but was awarded an “Associate Membership.”

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma hopes this statement clarifies the facts as we know them. It is our desire to not be distracted by such matters and continue helping our Elders and families here in our Nation.

For further information regarding Mr. Churchill’s status as a Native American, please contact the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington , D.C.