NAFPS Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2AsiUTKzk

Quote from that link:

Interview with a Pretendian | Pretendians Episode 1
Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that.

He’s not just your average imposter – "Grand Chief" Guillaume Carle is the king of the “pretendians", a French Canadian who made a small fortune creating his own fake First Nation and issuing phony Indian Status Cards to thousands of other identity thieves.
[…]
Follow Pretendians on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts:
https://link.chtbl.com/pretendians?sid=youtube

Link at the top is the first of a series of Podcasts about Pretendians from Canadaland.com:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2AsiUTKzk (Interview with a Pretendian | Pretendians Episode 1]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVesdykgsRk [Pretending in Prison | Pretendians Episode 2]
See the complete list at this URL https://www.canadaland.com/shows/pretendians/

Lelooska Foundation
Ariel, WA
Tax-exempt since April 1980
EIN: 91-1037468

For the 2023 calendar year, or tax year beginning 01-01-2023 , and ending 12-31-2023 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/911037468/202433209349309823/full

Briefly describe the organization’s mission or most significant activities: Educate about Native Americans of the NW and North America.

Total revenue: prior year $254,661
current $301,060

Mariah Stoll-Smith Reese Executive Director

Tsungani Fearon M Smith
President

Eric Reese
Director

Brad Richards
Vice President

Gretchen Fuller
Treasurer

John Clapp
Director

Wendy Dasler Johnson
Director

Lisa Cunningham
Secretary

Carol Edmo
Director

"Over 10,000 people attended the Living History Museum and Programs, or attended evening programs individually or as part of a school program during the year."

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I've found some more name variations for the original core group:

Mary/Marjorie Jean (Hinkle) Smith: "Shona-Hah" "Gray Dove"

Donald M. Smith:  "Chief Lelooska" "He who cuts against wood with a knife" "Yana" "Bear"

Patricia Louise (Smith) Cook: "Patty Fawn" "Agee Lakee"

Fearon M. Smith Jr: "Yana High" "Lodge Wrecker"  "Yana Itta the Lodge Wrecker" "Schmitty" "Chief Tsungani" "He Who Excels"

Richard Smith (does not appear to be active in this as an adult) "Ayondre" "Thunder Eagle"

It was mentioned [in the NAFPS forum], as also confirmed by educatedindian in the previous post. I am certain I posted comments about the site, but they are now missing.

That earlier thread [2019-2022), with my comments, can be found here:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5375.0 [Raceshifting: Tracking Fraudulent "Metis" Groups]

Excerpts from Daily Star-Journal
Thu, Jan 08, 1959 ·Page 1

"Ancient Culture of Indians Still Lives in Central Oregon Valley"

Lelooska, whose common name is Don Smith, was born in northern California, grandson of a fierce Apache known as He-Kill. Lelooska remembers He-Kill telling him:

"Let the hatchet be buried. But let not the Indian ways be forgotten."

Eventually Don Smith evolved this story:

"My warrior grandfather was a whittler," Lelooska once told an interviewer. "He taught me to carve as soon as I could hold a knife."

Lelooska's grandfather, He-Kill, a full-blooded Cherokee, also taught him the myths and legends of his people.

"Grandfather always told me, `Let the hatchet be buried. But let not the Indian ways be forgotten.'

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960907/2347842/lelooska-master-carver-won-acclaim-for-his-totem-poles

This fake saying is still being used by the family.

Don Smith here is referring to his maternal grandfather Enoch Fountain Hinkle https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53839500/enoch_fountain-hinkle This man was white, from white people.

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Something to remember when looking over records: just because a death certificate, obituary, newspaper article, online memorial, book, article etc states that someone is Native American, that does not necessarily mean it is true. Many people inaccurately self identify.

This well known, prolific family of artists and descendants claims they have recent Cherokee heritage. They do not. They have no Native American heritage for several generations back.

Marilyn Jean Hinkle/Shona-hah Smith/Gray Dove

Don Morris Smith / Chief Lelooska

Fearon Smith Jr / Smitty/ Chief Tsungani

Patricia Louise Smith / Patty Fawn/ Patty Fawn-Cook

Their "Indian" personas were invented in the late 1940s or so and continues to this day through the very active Lelooska Foundation and Cultural Center in Ariel, Washington.

They began with making trinkets for the tourist trade, then opened a curio shop in Salem, Oregon. They performed in Pendleton Roundup events.

They have evolved their act over time. https://www.lelooska.org/

They misrepresent their art which is illegal to do.

It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell, any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States.

https://www.doi.gov/iacb/act

Example of the misrepresentation, by "Patty Fawn" and her daughter https://www.adobegallery.com/artist/patty-fawn-and-nakweesee-cherokee-artisans

This is an especially disheartening fraud family to research. Active for decades. Art and totem poles all over the place. Countless student field trips run through their center. So much grant money.

Link for the uploaded photo of Don Smith in blackface https://archives.yvl.org/items/e2fa4131-3c59-43cb-9021-0e485ce0929d