Some of this is worth quoting at more length. Since Cruz has passed on, and the claim of her being an imposter very questionable, should we move her to Archives?
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https://twitter.com/WaiAlicia/status/1590084271745949696Here in the quiet often overlooked East Fork Community, we all know of Littlefeather's ties through our bloodline. She has family here that have visited her on a regular basis in California.
She is by blood part East Fork Apache, Yaqui, and Mexican. In fact a lot of Upper East Fork Community are of Mexican breed, in the Quintero Springs area. The tribe even categorized us as a sub clan called Nakaiye which means the Mexican Breed people. That's where she falls under.
Sasheen isn't an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, but that doesn't make her any less part East Fork Apache....
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Another article mentioning it.
https://medium.com/@issitohbi/indiaint-pretendians-and-jacqueline-keeler-8a2049054950....One of the biggest Pretendian claims made since the list itself came out was a San Francisco Chronicle article against Sacheen Littlefeather, the Apache woman who stepped in to accept Marlon Brando’s award at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973.
Littlefeather’s sisters say she was not Native and that they are actually Spanish through their father. (Keeler, 2022) There was instant outrage to this, as it came just weeks after Littlefeather’s death. The outrage was not the only thing that was instant, however, as other news outlets picked up the story as well. When it comes to stories like Keeler’s and those that followed it up, one thing was glaringly absent: commentary from members of the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes. While Littlefeather’s family can offer insight to the family’s tribal ties, they cannot offer insight to Littlefeather’s personal journey of reconnection. A White Mountain Apache woman of the Upper East Fork District shared a statement, claiming Littlefeather, that gives a needed perspective:
“This from an Apache woman… ‘You should’ve conducted better research before printing this article. You could’ve asked me. I’m a White Mountain Apache from the Upper East Fork District. And here in the quiet and [oftentimes], [overlooked] East Fork Community, we all know of [Littlefeather’s] ties, through our [bloodlines]. She has family here that have visited her on a regular basis in California. She is by blood, part East Fork Apache, Yaqui, and Mexican. In fact, a lot of Upper East Fork Community members are of Mexican Breed, in the Quintero Springs area. The Tribe even categorized us as a sub-clan called Nakaiye which means, the Mexican Breed People. That’s where she falls under. [Sacheen] isn’t an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, but it doesn’t make her any less, part East Fork Apache. There are many people who are born Apache, who aren’t enrolled, or have difficulty enrolling, because they aren’t able to prove their [ties] through bloodline, within a written system, developed by [Non-Natives]. Sounds like her sisters were just jealous of her and waited to talk [shit] about her until after her death. They couldn’t say anything while she was alive? So disrespectful.’” (WaiAlicia, 2022)(2)
And I agree this should have been addressed prior to her death, both by her family and by Keeler who cannot speak on behalf of every tribe out there as she does not belong to every tribe out there. If Keeler has been working on this research for years, why was Sacheen’s row on The List not complete with statements from her sisters or professional associates? (Keeler, 2022) The fine print of The List claimed that Keeler and Co. would seek out the accused for comment, after all. Why did Keeler not confront her while she was alive to explain?
....Whether authoring her own articles or being interviewed, Keeler continues to make these claims without the support of community.
