First article also has much on other groups claiming to be Shawnee.
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http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/06/19/black-and-red-and-white-me-natives-know-too-many-rachel-dolezals-160790Black and Red and White Like Me: Natives Know Too Many Rachel Dolezals
Mary Annette Pember
6/19/15
The story of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman posing as an African American, shines a light on the strange practice of ethnic fraud. Unfortunately, this practice is old news in Indian country; non-Natives, mostly Caucasians, have been posing as Native people for years.
“Playing Indian” is so common that most Native peoples have grown inured to the cringe-inducing spectacle of white folks doing ungainly dances at hobby powwows all over the world. Not all participants at these events claim Native ancestry – many just want to be Indian for a day.
There are more and more individuals and groups, however, claiming Native heritage in order to reap benefits, either professional or monetary. Many of these imposters also present themselves to the general public as authorities and spokespeople for Native peoples. These practices are a line in the sand for some Native people like Ben Barnes, Second Chief for the Shawnee tribe of Oklahoma and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO). He and representatives from other Oklahoma tribes are joining together and taking action.
Barnes and leaders from the three federally recognized Shawnee tribal governments all located in Oklahoma (the Shawnee, Absentee Shawnee and Eastern Band Shawnee, as well as the Miami tribe), traveled to Illinois in May to oppose a state bill that would have conferred state tribal recognition to the Vinyard Indian Settlement. The group, located in Herod, Illinois, claims to be Shawnee.
George Strack, THPO for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma described the group as hobbyists.
According to a story on the Daily Register newspaper website in Harrisburg, Illinois the legislation recognizing the Vinyard Settlement would have made the group eligible to receive resources from the federal government and state agencies. The group expected to use that funding to create an elder living center, a daycare center and make improvements to the surrounding environment.
Illinois State Representative Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, introduced the bill into the Illinois House in February, where it passed unanimously and was headed to the Senate for what appeared to be easy passage until representatives from the Oklahoma tribes presented the legislature with historic documentation that called the Vinyard claims into serious question.
Tribal leaders from Oklahoma are hopeful that the bill will not resurface. “Groups like the Vinyard tribe take funding that is earmarked for genuine state and federally recognized tribes,” Barnes said. He also noted that states without federally recognized tribes have little experience in Native affairs and can easily fall victim to claims by hobby groups. “Some of the states are simply unaware of how to verify the claims made by these groups and are often misled.
“There are about 35 groups claiming Shawnee heritage who have formed 501 c 3 (non-profit) status with the government. Some conduct public presentations falsely claiming to present Shawnee culture and tradition,” according to Barnes.
Most of the 35 groups are located in Ohio. Some, such as the United Remnant Band (URB) of Shawnee, claim to have formal state recognition. Ohio has no state recognized tribes nor does it have a recognition process, according to Rob Nicholas Communications Director for office of Ohio Gov. John Kasich....
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http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/federally-recognized-indian-group-protests-vinyard-settlement-shawnee-state-bill/article_493c5c8d-f7f8-5ed8-8447-0b6b7071fbb8.htmlFederally-recognized Indian group protests Vinyard Settlement Shawnee state bill
May 15, 2015 1:00 am • By Stephanie Ester
SPRINGFIELD — Shawnee Indians from Oklahoma and northern Illinois have temporarily stalled movement on a bill that would have given state recognition to the Vinyard Settlement of Shawnee Indians.
Opposition to HB 3127 came from representatives from the Miami Indians from Oklahoma, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma — members of the three federally recognized Shawnee tribes.
State representatives' passage of the bill would give state recognition to the Vinyard Indian Settlement, recognizing it as a tribe.
Shawnee Indians closer to being recognized by state
The Shawnee Vinyard Indian Settlement moved a step closer to being recognized by the state of Illinois this week.
Native Americans opposing the bill said they are Shawnee, which represents a close-knit group where people know each other, or know each other's people. Two main opponents, Ben Barnes and George Strack, said no one seems to know who one of the Vinyard leaders, Barney Bush, is related to or descended from.
Opposing HB 3127, which would have state representatives officially recognize the Vinyard Settlement Shawnee Indians, was led by Ben Barnes (far left) and George Strack (far right). In the center are Diane Hunter, an assistant with the Miami Tribe, and Scott Willard, assistant culture resources officer for the Miami Tribe.
Barnes, second chief of the Shawnee Tribe, said while the state representatives were acting in good faith, they were misled by people whose authenticity was not verified. Barnes said that the group's attempt to gain recognition as an official tribe could interfere with working relationship the Native Americans already have with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Forest Service, for instance.
He said recognition would also allow Vinyard group members to receive benefits reserved for Native Americans, who are part of federally recognized tribes.
Strack, tribal historic preservation officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, called the Vinyard group "hobbyists."
"They are prolific," Strack said of the hobbyist groups. "They are all over the country. The most damaging thing is is to appropriate someone’s culture."
Barnes compared the group's actions to someone trying to imitate a rabbi, dressing in his robes and trying to emulate the acts he performs.
"They would immediately know that was wrong," Barnes said.
Contacted Wednesday evening, Barney Bush referred questions to Vinyard Settlement spokesman William Attig. Attig could not be reached by telephone on Thursday.
A representative from State Sen. Gary Forby's office, D-Benton, said the Senate has postponed any vote on the bill and is waiting to collect new information from both the Vinyard Settlement of Shawnee Indians and from members of the tribes opposing the bill.
