US Edition‘Devastating’: Celebrated author says he is not Indigenous after investigation into ancestry
Thomas King accepted genealogical findings from the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds confirming no Cherokee ancestry, leading to cancellations and community impacts, while his publisher supports him.
- On Nov. 24, 2025, Thomas King acknowledged he is not Indigenous after the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds presented genealogical evidence in a Nov. 13 video conference.
- Family oral history traced to Elvin Hunt held that he was Cherokee, but a Tribal Alliance Against Frauds genealogist found no Cherokee ancestry on the Hunt or King sides, prompting King's search.
- King admits he received benefits linked to Indigenous identity and will return the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for arts and culture , while HarperCollins Canada said it has published him for over 30 years and supports his DreadfulWater series.
- Edmonton Opera cancelled Indians on Vacation after Treaty 6 Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers raised concerns; Thomas King calls it essentially the end of him and says he is not optimistic.
- An established literary figure, King is an award-winning writer with major honours including the Order of Canada, and he continues the DreadfulWater series with StarBright planned for May, 2026, amid parallels to disputes involving Joseph Boyden, Michelle Latimer and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
20 Articles
20 Articles
‘Inconvenient Indian’ Author Thomas King Reveals He Has No Cherokee Ancestry
His shocking admission follows a 2020 documentary adaptation of his 2013 book being pulled from the Sundance Film Festival after the director’s own Indigenous identity was called into question.
He has written a number of books on Aboriginal history and identity, including the uncomfortable Indian, which has been awarded many times.
Acclaimed Writer of Indigenous Stories Says He Is Not Native American
Thomas King, the Canadian author who had identified as part-Cherokee throughout his celebrated career, said on Monday that contrary to what he had believed his entire life, he has no Indigenous ancestry. Mr. King wrote in The Globe and Mail that his mother had told him that his biological father was part-Cherokee, but a genealogist working with an organization that aims to expose claims of false Indigenous heritage found no Cherokee connection. …
Thomas King, author of The Inconvenient Indian, expects 'firestorm' as he reveals he's not Indigenous
In an essay titled "A most inconvenient Indian" for the Globe and Mail, the Guelph, Ont.-based King says he learned of rumours several years ago that questioned his heritage. The California-born King says he made a concerted effort this year to find their origin, which brought him to a U.S. organization called Tribal Alliance Against Frauds.
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