University Professor’s Cherokee Identity Claims Disputed by Activist Group

A University of Windsor professor who has built her academic career on her self-identification as Eastern Cherokee has no Indigenous ancestry, according to findings released by an activist organization.

On February 4, the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) published results from an extensive genealogical investigation into Sandra Muse Isaacs, who has taught Indigenous literature at the University of Windsor since 2018. The group’s report concludes that Muse Isaacs has “zero American Indian ancestry.”

“In sum, there is no evidence that Isaacs has even the most distant relations by blood to Cherokees,” states TAAF, which operates from within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation in North Carolina. “Anyone who claims an American Indian identity has a responsibility to factually substantiate that claim.”

The University of Windsor acknowledged awareness of the allegations in an email statement to CBC News, saying: “The university takes these matters seriously and is reviewing the information provided. Policy development surrounding Indigenous identity is complex, and the university recognizes the importance of Indigenous-led and informed approaches in these matters.”

According to TAAF’s investigation, which examined Muse Isaacs’ family tree, historical Cherokee census records, and her own writings, the professor has personally benefited from her self-identification as Eastern Cherokee. The report alleges she received the Harvey Longboat scholarship at McMaster University – designated for Indigenous graduate students – four times.

“In numerous instances, she has claimed for herself funding and jobs earmarked for actual Native people,” the report states.

Muse Isaacs was hired through the University of Windsor’s President’s Indigenous Peoples Scholars Program, an initiative specifically created to “advance the academic careers of Indigenous scholars” and “increase the strength and diversity of Indigenous voices” on campus. On her faculty page, she describes herself as “of Eastern Cherokee (Ani-tsisqua, Bird Clan) and Gaelic heritage (Clan McRae),” and notes that she grew up in western Detroit.

The report also criticizes the University of Windsor, claiming there is no evidence of any vetting process for those claiming to speak from an Indigenous perspective. Muse Isaacs did not respond to CBC Windsor’s attempts to contact her regarding the allegations.

Veldon Coburn, faculty chair of Indigenous relations at McGill University, noted parallels between the case against Muse Isaacs and recent revelations about author Thomas King, who was celebrated as an Indigenous writer for decades before acknowledging he has no Cherokee ancestry. TAAF was also instrumental in exposing King’s false identity claims.

“It’s been an open secret amongst Indigenous peoples,” says Coburn, who is Anishinaabe from the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn. “It’s just that we haven’t had the voice and the platform to point it out.” Coburn considers TAAF a reputable source, adding, “The work that they typically do is very thorough and rigorous… I would put a great deal of credence into the report.”

Beyond the immediate implications for Muse Isaacs, Coburn worries about these cases increasing public skepticism toward legitimate Indigenous people. “That’s when we lose the trust in the individuals and how they represent themselves.”

Michelle Good, an award-winning Indigenous author and Order of Canada recipient, believes that consequences for falsely claiming Indigenous ancestry should be much harsher.

“You know the term ‘Indigenous identity fraud?’ One of the words that I feel is not being given sufficient time or consideration is the word ‘fraud,'” Good says. “This is a fraud like any other fraud… This is a crime.”

Good, who is a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation and a Sixties Scoop survivor, finds it particularly troubling that non-Indigenous individuals are claiming Indigeneity now that one can gain “decent salaries and benefits” plus “public profile and fame” from doing so.

“Suddenly people want to be Indigenous,” Good says with exasperation. “When I started out as an activist, I was a teenager — a white person would have considered it an insult (to be called Indigenous).”

TAAF’s report doesn’t mince words, repeatedly describing Muse Isaacs as a “pretendian” – a pejorative term used by Indigenous people to describe those who knowingly appropriate Indigenous culture and identity. The report calls her an exemplification of the “theft of our Indian identities” and “more than a little delusional.”

As evidence, TAAF points to Muse Isaacs’ writings about her father organizing “powwows” in Detroit. “Tellingly, powwows are not Cherokee,” TAAF notes. “They were created by citizens of Plains Indian Tribes.”

According to TAAF, attempts were made to approach Muse Isaacs “privately and respectfully” about her background before the report was made public. “Specifically, TAAF asked Isaacs to identify the basis of her claims to having Eastern Band Cherokee ancestry,” the report states. “Isaacs chose not to respond at all to TAAF’s queries.”

Good dismisses arguments that the valuable work done by people like Isaacs and King outweighs questions about their true ancestry. “What stopped them from doing that good work as the people they are? Why did they have to do it in redface?” Good asks. “They had to do it in redface because that is what would enrich them… It’s a profound arrogance.”

In a 2019 interview with CBC Windsor, Muse Isaacs spoke about being “the only Indigenous scholar” at the university at that time. She recommended Thomas King’s book “The Inconvenient Indian” as an entry point for readers interested in Indigenous literature and criticized the portrayal of Indigenous people in canonical literature, specifically mentioning Injun Joe in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

“Am I supposed to see myself in this?” Muse Isaacs said in that interview. “There’s no one that I know, nobody in my family that was like that.”