Thomas King, a prominent Canadian-American author, has publicly acknowledged that he has no Cherokee ancestry, a claim he has long maintained. This scandal came to light thanks to an investigation by the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF). This would be especially noteworthy given the barrage of Indigenous identity fraud accusations that have surfaced in recent weeks.
King was born in California and relocated to Canada in 1980. Since then he’s gone on to have an immensely influential and distinguished career as a writer, academic, and activist. He is especially celebrated for his novels dealing with Indigenous themes and his purported Cherokee ancestry. He received the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize for Non-Fiction for “The Inconvenient Indian.” In 2020, he was awarded the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his novel Indians on Vacation.
In 1980, King accepted a position at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, where he taught Indigenous studies. His impact on the world of education and community development were phenomenal. Together, those initiatives led to his being named a Companion of the Order of Canada later that year. In light of the recent accusations regarding his genealogy, these accomplishments have sadly become eclipsed by a more sinister legacy.
In mid-November, King met with members of Taaf, who performed a genealogical investigation into his family lineage and confirmed that he was indeed an heir. The findings showed that he had no Cherokee ancestry at all, on either side of his family. King welcomed the findings with open arms. He continued, “It’s been two weeks since that video call and I’m still feeling shaken. At 82, I often sense that I have been torn in two, a one-legged character in a two-legged narrative.”
He stated unequivocally that the allegations, as reported, are false. He continued, “Taaf proposed that I should perhaps provide a kind of apology for my existence…but an apology presupposes a breach, a transgression, a wrong.” And I don’t think that’s appropriate. Throughout my career – activist, academic, administrator, writer – I’ve conducted myself in the belief that I was mixed-blood Cherokee.
King wants nothing more than for his achievements to be distinguished from his asserted identity. The remainder of my accolades are due to my writing, not my race,” he added. This statement further illustrates his conviction that his writings should be viewed on their own merits, without consideration of his ethnicity.
As a result of this recent backlash, the cracks in societal narratives about cultural identity and representation are now starting to break apart. King’s situation points to deeper questions about authenticity in storytelling, and the often fraught realities of racial identity.