‘Ethnic fraud’: Madison’s Kay LeClaire faces allegations for posing as an Indigenous person for years

Artist and activist Madison Kay LeClaire, who goes by the name of an Ojibwe spiritist, is facing allegations of impersonating a Native American.

Since at least 2017, LeClaire has claimed multiple identities including indigenous identities. They also took the Ojibwe name nibiiwakamigkwe. LeClaire uses the pronouns they/they and defines as “two spirits,” an Aboriginal term for non-binary people.

Many say LeClaire is proud of their heritage. They served on the Department of Justice’s Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women Task Force, Gigs got talking He was granted a paid residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

But in late November, an anonymous user disputed LeClaire’s heritage claims New age scams forumaccusing the artist of being white.

Since the news of LeClaire’s identity Madison 365 broke outWisconsin tribal members and allies have spoken.

Shannon Holsey is the chief of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Indians. The claim to be Native goes beyond race, she said, and goes into issues of federal rights and tribal treaties.

“We have to look more deeply and examine some of those motives behind wanting to do this,” she said. “Especially because it’s not just the fact that he’s associated with race, being Native American, as a member of a federally recognized tribe.”

Bear Cunningham is the co-founder and co-owner of giige, a Native American and Native American-owned tattoo shop and artist collective. Cunningham…