While not a case of selling ceremony, this story relates to false representations of Native culture in the media.
An earlier season of the reality competition show Project Runway featured Native designer Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo), who got all the way to the finals of the show. Patricia often incorporated traditional techniques from regalia into her designs. While familiar to NDN country, much of what she did seemed completely new and fresh to a mainstream fashion audience.
This year, they had two designers they billed as Native. One, Kini Zamora (Native Hawaiian) was clearly part of his culture and community. Like with Ms. Michaels, we meet his family, and in one moving scene his auntie sings him an honor song. The other, Korina Emmerich, immediately raised red flags. She didn't seem culturally Native, and she presented Plains/Pan-NDN aesthetics as "traditional" to her claimed (Pacific Northwest) culture. We never met her family. She also stood out because she was one of the meanest, most hostile people ever seen on the show. She particularly bullied the women of color. Turns out, like we suspected, she is not part of the tribal community she claims, and the tribe does not claim her.
Once the Puyallup tribal members spoke out, she started backpedaling furiously. Now she's claiming she never said she belonged to the tribe (she did, repeatedly) and that she only said she's "part" Native American (nope, she claimed to be "American Indian" (first red flag) or "Native American" in every episode).
At one point Ms Emmmerich showed a picture of a child in a jingle dress, and claimed it was her, and that she had danced "on the pow wow circuit" as a child. While she seemed to know the right things to say about the jingle dress, given her surname, I'm wondering if she's the daughter of German pretendians.
http://www.indianz.com/News/2014/015354.asp_______________________________________
‘Project Runway’ contestant claims false membership in Puyallup TribeBy Matt Nagle
matt@puyalluptribalnews.net
A popular reality TV show now airing on the Lifetime Network includes one contestant that identifies as Native American, but she claims to be Puyallup and here is where the problem comes in.
For those who don’t follow this program, “Project Runway” is a fashion-focused contest in which chosen clothing designers from across the country square off (or “sew off” in this case) against each other to make the most impressive creations. Under the eye of three celebrity judges, one by one each of the contestants is eliminated until one remains as the winner. Korina Emmerich was eliminated in episode 11 last week.
Now in its 13th season, “Project Runway” enjoys a wide following and gets its fair share of buzz on the Internet, including news articles about contestant Korina Emmerich being a Puyallup Tribal Member, as she says she is. However, according to the Tribe’s Enrollment Department there is no record of her or her family in the Puyallup tribal enrollment rolls going all the way back to the original 1929 enrollment roster.
Puyallup Tribal Council Member Maggie Edwards was the first to learn of this situation and bring it to the attention of the Puyallup Tribal News.
“In the season opener, Korina self-identified as a Native American of the Puyallup Tribe,” Maggie Edwards said. “I double-checked with Enrollment, when the Native Internet news started carrying the story. She is not on our rolls, therefore not an enrolled member. It would be one thing to call herself a descendent of a Puyallup, if she were even that, but she clearly says she is a Puyallup.”
The Puyallup Tribal News attempted to speak with Korina Emmerich to discuss her lineage and possible Puyallup connections but she did not respond.
Related Stories:
Puyallup fashion designer survives 2nd week on Project Runway (08/01)
Puyallup fashion designer competes for prize in Project Runway (7/28)
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