Faculty of the UCLA Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies offer our gratitude to the members and the Council of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) for bringing to light that our colleague, Maylei Blackwell, has been misrepresenting herself as Cherokee. Upon receiving the news, we have taken this moment to learn and stand in solidarity with the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. We recognize that Indigenous communities are diverse in their understandings and norms regarding membership, belonging, and citizenship; and we respect the sovereignty of the Cherokee whose norms of belonging are very clearly defined. Upon Blackwell’s admission, we are also reflecting on the multi-layered harms such misrepresentation has caused. Within our department, we are committed to supporting current and former students—some of whom chose to work with her precisely because they believed she was Indigenous—as they are especially affected. As we continue to grapple with questions around the layers of harm and possibilities for accountability, we look to Indigenous scholars’ work. We recognize their labor and contributions on these painful matters.

Respectfully,

Charlene Villaseñor Black

Chair, UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies

Links:

https://speakingoutofplace.com/2023/10/19/when-natives-arent-liza-black-and-joseph-pierce-discuss-the-epistemic-and-communal-violence-and-re-storying/

https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremy_bomberry_6nations/video/7399695602331700485?_r=1&_t=8pHPVQsUaoF

September 4, 2024