Tribal Alliance Against Frauds

The Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that is dedicated to exposing individuals and organizations that have falsely claimed to be American Indian, as well as to educating the public on the harms to American Indian people and sovereignty caused by identity fraud. The organization employs certified experts in American Indian genealogy to conduct genealogical investigations of individuals who have profited from fraudulent claims of American Indian heritage.^[1]

TAAF is physically based in Cherokee, North Carolina, on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). TAAF is not a tribal program, nor is it endorsed by the EBCI or any other tribe. It is an independent watchdog organization that employs whistleblowing methods. TAAF was founded in May, 2022. According to the organization's official website, their mission is to investigate and expose non-American Indian people who "falsely represent American Indian cultures, histories, and spiritual practices and/or falsely claim American Indian identity as individuals for profit or fame." People who falsely claim to be American Indians are often referred to as "Pretendians". The organization conducts lengthy and detailed investigations, using certified genealogists who are experts in American Indian genealogy. Lianna Costantino, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is the organization's co-founder and executive director. TAAF does not expose individuals who falsely believe they have American Indian heritage based on "unfounded family lore", unless they profit from those false claims or otherwise harm American Indians. Individuals who are under investigation are contacted first by TAAF to give them an opportunity to clarify or substantiate their American Indian heritage claims. In addition to their published findings, TAAF also maintains a list of several hundred suspected "Pretendians" who are in the process of being investigated.^[2]

TAAF has published over a dozen investigations into notable people who claimed ancestry. In March, 2023, TAAF issued a highly publicized report that Heather Rae, known as a leading producer in American Indian circles in Hollywood, had fraudulently claimed to be of Cherokee descent.^[3] TAAF called for Rae to resign from her positions at American Indian organizations. In response, Rae stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that she had "began to really look into my family’s history in a deeper way" and was "still in that process, so for several years I have identified as an ally."^[4]

In June 2023, TAAF published their findings that the writer Owl Goingback (born James Russel Heidbrink) was an "ethnic fraud...of European ancestry" who had falsely claimed both Cherokee and Choctaw ancestry. According to court records, he legally changed his name from James Heidbrink to Owl Goingback in 2000. TAAF produced statements from both tribes saying he wasn't a citizen, as well as a genealogical family tree demonstrating that his ancestors were all white. In response, Goingback admitted that he is not a citizen of any American Indian tribe, but claimed TAAF had "no authority" to request authentication of his claims to American Indian heritage.^[2]

In July 2023, TAAF published findings demonstrating that Kent Patrick Blansett, a professor of Indigenous Studies and History at the University of Kansas, had fraudulently claimed to be of Potawatomi, Shawnee, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Muscogee ancestry. A genealogical tree going back six generations that was created by TAAF found no evidence of American Indian ancestry.^[5][6]

In October 2023, TAAF published their findings that the writer Erika T. Wurth had falsely claimed Apache, Chickasaw, and Cherokee ancestry and stated that Wurth had fabricated an American Indian identity for "personal gain". TAAF's report states that "Wurth's family were white settlers" and that "NONE were American Indian". In response, Wurth's literary agent alleged that TAAF employs "tools of manipulation and unwarranted persecution of Native Americans".^[2]

In November 2023, TAAF published findings alleging that Qwo-Li Driskill (born Paul Edward Driskill), an associate professor of women, gender and sexuality studies and queer studies at Oregon State University, had falsely claimed to be of Osage, Lenape, Lumbee, and Cherokee heritage. Driskill claimed to be a non-enrolled descendant of American Indians, but TAAF's report concluded that Driskill had no American Indian ancestry. TAAF requested that OSU fire Driskill unless Driskill publicly apologized.^[7][8] As of September 2024, Driskill was no longer employed at OSU.^[9]

• List of organizations that self-identify as Native American tribes
• Native American identity in the United States

• Official website, Tribal Alliance Against Frauds