The co-founder of a queer Indigenous artists’ collective in Wisconsin who has claimed to be Native American is being {accused} of being a white lady and has since stepped down from her group positions.
Kay LeClaire, who additionally glided by the title Nibiiwakamigkwe, additionally identifies as ‘two-spirit,’ which is a time period many Indigenous folks use to explain a non-binary gender identification.
LeClaire has allegedly been making the most of the identities of Indigenous peoples, in keeping with hobbyist genealogist AdvancedSmite as reported by Madison365.
She has claimed Métis, Oneida, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Cuban and Jewish heritage, however AdvancedSmite reportedly used on-line information and assets to seek out LeClaire’s true lineage – German, Swedish and French Canadian.
Kay LeClaire, who additionally glided by the title Nibiiwakamigkwe, and has claimed to be Native American is being {accused} of being a white lady by hobbyist genealogist AdvancedSmite
Over the previous few years, LeClaire, who’s a member and co-owner of the artist collective giige, has earned a number of artists’ stipends, a paid residency on the College of Wisconsin, a spot on the Lacking and Murdered Indigenous Girls Job Power and plenty of talking gigs and artwork exhibitions, it was reported.
LeClaire refused to reply questions, however supplied a press release to Madison365.
‘I’m sorry,’ they wrote. ‘Plenty of data has come to my consideration since late December. I’m nonetheless processing all of it and don’t but know tips on how to reply adequately. What I can do now could be supply change.
‘Transferring ahead, my efforts will probably be in direction of decreasing hurt by following the instructions supplied by Native group members and community-specified proxies.’
The assertion went on: ‘Presently, which means that I’m not utilizing the Ojibwe title given to me and am eradicating myself from all group areas, positions, tasks, and grants and won’t search new ones.
‘Any culturally associated gadgets I maintain are being redistributed again in group, both to the unique makers and gift-givers when doable or elsewhere as decided by group members. Thanks.’
DailyMail.com has reached out the the artist’ collective and to LeClaire for remark.
AdvancedSmite, who can also be of Indigenous heritage, advised Madison365 that they first grew to become conscious of LeClaire via a Fb advert for an upcoming discuss on Indigenous feminism.
The discuss recognized LeClaire as Nibiiwakamigkwe, which AdvancedSmite stated they discovered uncommon as a result of the given Ojibwe title is ‘sometimes one thing that might simply be utilized in ceremony or with different people who find themselves Ojibwe or part of your group,’ they stated.
AdvancedSmite reportedly used on-line information and assets to seek out LeClaire’s true lineage – German, Swedish and French Canadian. They’re pictured of their highschool photograph
AdvancedSmite performed some analysis and related the Ojibwe title to LeClaire, which is ‘a typical Native American final title’ but additionally noticed posts on their social media that LeClaire appeared to typically determine as Anishinaabe.
‘Our band names are so vital, so I are typically suspicious when somebody simply says Anishinaabe,’ AdvancedSmite stated.
AdvancedSmite then reportedly used on-line information and assets to seek out LeClaire’s true lineage – German, Swedish and French Canadian, Madison365 reported, and reported their findings on the New Age Fraud Discussion board.
AdvancedSmite additionally supplied data from their analysis that claims LeClaire, on their now-deleted Fb account, LeClaire referred to themself as ‘a 20-something white lady.’
However by 2019, they have been figuring out as Indigenous sufficient to cofound the giige collective.
It was additionally claimed on the discussion board that LeClaire graduated from Hamilton Excessive Faculty in Sussex, Wisconsin, the place they have been often called Katie Le Claire, in 2012.
They apparently attended the College of Wisconsin and in the summertime of 2018 married fellow Hamilton alum Adam Pagenkopf, a analysis specialist at UW, it was reported.
AdvancedSmite claimed on the discussion board that LeClaire labored their method into many establishments and exhibitions and made cash by claiming Indigenous heritage, however it’s unclear how a lot.
‘You may’t assume … that Kay LeClaire is an remoted incident … the pretendian downside is a long run, strategic problem,’ they wrote in a later e mail to Madison365, including that individuals who falsely declare Indigenous heritage are then passing that false declare on to their youngsters, who might unwittingly settle for it, perpetuating a falsehood via generations. ‘It is a struggle for our future and identification.’
