Michael Dorris, as reported by Jerry Renolds of the Indian
Country Today, claims Oregon Modoc ancestry--a tribe
which, to say the least, is difficult to trace. In the article,
Dorris stated that whenever questions about his identity come up, he
usually refers them to his father. Thats funny, I (and many others in the
academic community) was under the impression that Dorris didn't know who
his father was. Interesting.
Ward Churchill seems to be another Michael Dorris, Jamake Highwater type,
only instead of writing about Columbus or an "insiders" view of Native
spirituality, he focuses on a word he is fond of, "genocide." He claims
to be, in an October 6th article in the San Francisco Weekly, "about one
sixteenth Cherokee and Creek." In recent years, he seems to have added
Metis to go along with his other tribal claims, all of which he is very
vague in answering to. Some will say that it really doesn't matter if it
turns out that Churchill isn't really Indian, since the work he has
done in the past makes up for it. What work would that be? His position
on the production staff of Soldier of Fortune magazine in the Spring 1977
issue? How about his manipulation of certain prominant Indian people into
defending his legitimacy during his, as you could say, "identity crisis?"
I say to anyone reading this that there is much more to Ward Churchill
than meets the eye, and it goes way beyond any of his claims to Cherokee/Creek
ancestry.
Regardless of the work that the above individuals have published or views
that they have taken on various Indian issues, the fact is that if they
have any legitimate ties, it is to the Wannabe Tribe, not the Modocs or
Cherokee/Creeks. Any comments on this subject would be appreciated.
Brian L. Gunn
Colville Nation (roll#1932)