United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Disputes CU Professor Ward Churchill's Claims He is One of Them

Group Maintains Churchill Could Not Prove Cherokee Ancestry; Hawaii Reporter Pressed Him on the Ethnicity Issue While He Was in Hawaii, Giving Churchill a 'Meltdown'

By Malia Zimmerman, 5/18/2005 11:31:24 AM

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians issued a statement today, May 18, 2005, that controversial Colorado University Professor Ward Churchill, who claims the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attack on America are "little Eichmens," is not a member of their organization. The group maintains Churchill has not proven he has any Cherokee heritage, and that any statements he’s made connecting himself to the organization are "fraudulent."

"All of Churchill's past, present and future claims or assertions of Keetoowah 'enrollment' written or spoken, including but not limited to; biographies, curriculum vitae, lectures, applications for employment, or any other reference not listed herein are deemed fraudulent by the United Keetoowah Band, and should be respected by all media, government and private institutions to be so," the organization says on its Web site.

Hawaii Reporter challenged Colorado University Professor Ward Churchill on his ethnicity claims when he was here in Honolulu recently preparing to speak to students and faculty at the University of Hawaii.

Churchill first said his ethnicity was not an issue, and claimed Hawaii Reporter was into "identity politics" and racist for challenging him.

He continued to lash out at reporters at the press conference who pressed him for answers. The following evening during his speech at the University of Hawaii, he compared this editor, who he called a "white reporter" to flies circling manure (he did not clarify if he was the manure or the flies).

When pressed during his press conference, with Hawaii Reporter explaining the reasoning behind asking about his heritage is because he is accused of falsifying his ethnicity to take advantage of government programs for Native Americans and to get an edge on promotions at his state university, he maintained his claims. He said at the time he is a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

(To link on audio and video excerpts from the Hawaii press conference and speech made by Churchill in Hawaii, go to the bottom of this story.)

The Wall Street Journal, in an oped by Christopher L. Gilbertson, credited Hawaii Reporter with giving Churchill a "meltdown."

"During the news conference, Mr. Churchill bickered with journalists who insisted on asking whether or not he really is an American Indian. After continuing questions from Malia Zimmerman, a journalist with HawaiiReporter.com, he finally said his pedigree is "not important" but "the issue (should be) the substance of what I said." He then refused to take any more questions. As much as he might want to duck the subject, however, Mr. Churchill's veracity about his Indian heritage will be of keen interest to officials at his university, where he is now facing an inquiry into whether his tenure should be revoked," Gilbertson wrote.

Meanwhile, the group Churchill claims to be a part of denies Churchill’s claims in a newly released statement and says he continues to promote himself as a Keetoowah member in order to substantiate his claims of Indian ancestry.

The group says "He (Churchill) was only given an honorary 'associate membership' in the early 1990s because he could not prove any Cherokee ancestry."

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians also clarifies that the "associate rolls" were discontinued shortly after Churchill received one: "Effective immediately, the UKB ceases to grant and/or recognize any/all future UKB Associate Memberships" - United Keetoowah Band Membership Amendment, 94-UKB-12A, July 9, 1994."

"Any records of past affiliations with the UKB are non-existent, and Churchill does not appear anywhere on our membership rolls," the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians says.

The group maintains Churchill was never able to prove his eligibility in accordance with their membership laws, but was to be honored because of his promise to write their history, and because of his pledge "to help and honor the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians."

But so far he has not made good on his promise: "To date, Churchill has done nothing in regards to his promise and pledge," the organization says.

The United Keetoowah Band, a sovereign Nation, has the sole right to determine its membership and interpret its laws.

The term "Indian," the members say, refers not only to an ethnic category, but it is also a political determination based on our unique relationship with the Federal Government -- one that Churchill does not have.

"Mr. Churchill mocks the basic fundamental principles of Tribal Sovereignty when he consistently refers to enrollment as a ‘pedigree’ and compares enrollment to ‘dogs’ and ‘Nazi policies.’ Additionally, his rhetoric did not prevent him from approaching the UKB and seek a so-called "dog pedigree."

Concluding, the statement says, "The UKB is concerned that non-Indians, as well as many young impressionable Native Americans may take Churchill's assertions at face value. We hope to set the record straight regarding this individual. The United Keetoowah Band has no association with Churchill in any capacity whatsoever and considers his comments offensive. His remarks in no way reflect the true compassion for the victims of the World Trade Center and their families that is felt by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians."

Churchill continues to make the news -- nationally and in his hometown, where Regents at his college are determining whether to fire Churchill, allow him to stay or buy out his contract for a reported whopping $10 million -- while several hundred professors signed a petition demanding he stay.

Churchill, who says 9-11 victims were deserving of what they got, and the terrorists who killed them are gallant heroes, was recently in Hawaii hosted by several groups at the University of Hawaii, including the American Studies, Womens Studies and Hawaiian Studies Departments. His speech, which attracted around 800 people, including protestors, supporters and students mandated to attend by their professors, made national news as did the University of Hawaii’s hosting of Churchill on its campus.

Denver papers continue to harp on the Native American claims Churchill has made.

Just after returning from Hawaii, Churchill was confronted by a Denver journalist from 4ABC News about supposed Native American artwork he sold under his name. The Serigraph by Ward Churchill, from the early 1980s, titled Winter Attack, was a mirror image of a painting by Thomas E. Mails, published in a 1972 book called The Mystic Warriors of the Plains. Churchill threw papers from his desk at the reporter and camera crew when presented with copies of the artwork and then tried to punch the reporter. Eventually Churchill stopped being violent, and told the reporter that he had permission from the now deceased painter to copy his work. Mails son, Ryan Mails, says his father fiercely defends his copyright.

Churchill also was exposed by KHOW Radio Talk Show Hosts Craig Silverman and Dan Caplis for teaching his audience how to commit terrorists acts against Americans -- this during a 2003 speech in Seattle. They obtained the tapes and ran them on air. See Video

See more about this controversy at Questions Ward Churchill Here is the audio link to portions of the Feb. 21, 2005, Hawaii press conference with Ward Chuchill where he is asked by Malia Zimmerman if he is an American Indian: Hawaii Press Conference February 2005

To listen to an mp3 audio version of the entire press conference, which begins here with a statement by University of Hawaii Professor Haunani Trask about Churchill, go to: Press Conference University of Hawaii Regarding Ward Churchill

Here is an audio link to portions of Ward Churchill's Feb. 22, 2005, speech at the University of Hawaii, regarding his alleged Indian heritage: Ward Churchill's Speech at University of Hawaii

Here's a video link to the last part of the Ward Churchill press conference on Feb. 21, 2005 (about his being confronted over not being an American Indian by ethnicity). The first link is for broadband users, and the second is for dialup. Must use QuickTime plug in:

Confrontation with Ward Churchill February 2005 high band connection

Here's the video link to the entire Ward Churchill Press conference at the University of Hawaii: Ward Churchill Press Conference at University of Hawaii

Here's a Windows Media format video excerpt from the Ward Churchill speech at the University of Hawaii in high resolution:

High Resolution

and in low resolution: Low Resolution

Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, at Malia Zimmerman, Editor

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