'Indigenous' Canadian-American author concedes he's not really Indigenous
Thomas King says he's "still reeling" two weeks after a genealogist working with the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds informed him there's no evidence of Indigenous ancestry in his family lineage.
On Tuesday's live stream, Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle reacted to Canadian-American author Thomas King announcing that genealogical research shows he's not actually Indigenous despite having long claimed Indigenous ancestry.
King made the revelation on Monday in a column in the Globe and Mail titled, “A most inconvenient Indian”. In the essay, King admitted that over the past few years he had become aware of whispers within Indigenous and arts communities that his claims to Cherokee heritage are not true.
The author then spoke with members of the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds in November, with a genealogist working with the group later informing him there's no evidence to support his Indigenous ancestry claims.
The 'The Inconvenient Indian' author says that although he was surprised by the new information, he accepts the findings. “It’s been a couple of weeks since that video call, and I’m still reeling. At 82, I feel as though I’ve been ripped in half, a one-legged man in a two-legged story,” he wrote. “Not the Indian I had in mind. Not an Indian at all.”
Lise reacted to King's recent confession. "One hundred percent he saw on the internet people started digging into him. He saw it happening and he went woah, I better get out in front of this because this is going to blow up, I'm going to get Buffy Sainte-Maried," she said.
King was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2004 and received the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his 2020 book 'Indians on Vacation'.
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COMMENTS
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Benoît-François de Champlain commented 2025-11-27 18:35:32 -0500Grammatically speaking, if you will, and if you know what I mean, this usage of the verb ‘’to identify’’ or the very existence of the verb phrase ‘’to identify as’’ should never even have become a thing. No, it is simply like this; either you are, or you are not. Sheesh! -
Bruce Atchison commented 2025-11-26 20:52:26 -0500What a grifter. By the way, I identify as Neanderthal and my house is my man cave.