Churchill: Was batting .75, now .5

Yesterday's post was about Churchill's response to the CU investigative committee, and in one portion of his response, he claimed Indian Heritage on 3 of 4 federally recognized statutes (the one that still throws me is just because you can "claim" heritage, you automatically ARE an Indian...go figure that one out...)

Turns out one of his claims is being challenged. In today's Rocky, a tribe is calling his membership fraudulent.

Seems that the Keetoowah band (tribe) is challenging his claim to be a "member"...

"The United Keetoowah Band would like to make it clear that Mr. Churchill IS NOT a member of the Keetoowah Band and was only given an honorary 'associate membership' in the early 1990s because he could not prove any Cherokee ancestry."

The tribe said that 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."

Churchill could not be reached Tuesday, and his attorney, David Lane, did not respond to calls for comment.

News of the tribe's firm disavowal of Churchill, an ethnic studies professor at the University of Colorado, comes on the heels of Lane's assertion that Churchill included "conclusive proof" of his American Indian status - including his tribal membership card and a videotape of his induction ceremony - in his 50-page response to a CU investigation.

The university is examining whether Churchill misrepresented himself as an American Indian in order to gain employment-related benefits or to add credibility or gain public acceptance for his scholarship. It is also looking into charges of plagiarism, fabrication or misuse of others' work.

Churchill has variously described himself as 1/16 or 3/16 Cherokee but has pinned his American Indian identity most firmly on the associate membership granted to him in 1994 by the United Keetoowah Band, based in Tahlequah, Okla.

The 1/16 or 3/16 assertion has also been debunked by the Rocky as well as 850 KOA and other media organizations that have investigated his past. The most accurate number so far is 0/16.

Churchill's ivory tower continues to crumble - but don't be surprised if he drags down others with him - I have a sneaking suspicion, since he's a dyed in the wool liberal, that he'll have an aggressive counterattack to go after the character of his accusers. Nothing "noble" about his coming downfall - which, as I have been told, being "noble" and having "character" is part and parcel of Native American Heritage.