Maylei Blackwell, a UCLA professor of mixed Thai and Cherokee heritage, faced backlash and a rescinded award due to revealed doubts about her claims of Cherokee ancestry. Investigation revealed her mother was white, prompting Blackwell to apologize and seek reparation for any harm. This incident has triggered wider discussions within the University of California about authenticity in Indigenous identity, leading to a "fact-finding mission" aimed at addressing the growing issue of "Pretendians"—individuals falsely claiming Native identity. Native American scholars advocate for accountability in academic representation to prevent further situations of misrepresentation.
We just decided that people need to start talking about this in the system or it's going to keep happening.
There are so many people pretending to be Native, so I do think people who are claiming it, who are building their careers on it, should have to prove it.
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