Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc.
| Named after | Yokuts word |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1980[1] |
| Founded at | Porterville, California[1][2] |
| Type | Nonprofit,[3] unrecognized tribe |
| Registration no. | EIN 94-2737435 (CA)[2] |
| Location |
|
Chief | Malcolm Webber,[4] "Chief Thunderbird IV" Webber[3] |
The Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc. was a fraudulent organization that falsely claimed to be an unrecognized tribe from the 1980s to the early 2000s. It appropriated the name of the Kaweah people but had no legitimate connection to any historical Native American group. The organization applied for federal recognition in the 1980s, but its petition was denied.[5][6]
The organization became known for fraudulent activities, including selling fake tribal memberships to undocumented Mexican nationals under the false pretense that such documents conferred citizenship in the United States.[4][7] Its leader, Malcolm Webber, who referred to himself as 'Grand Chief Thunderbird IV,' was convicted on six felony charges related to the scheme and sentenced to prison in 2008.[8]
Petition for federal recognition
[edit]The Kaweah Indian Nation, based in California at the time, petitioned the US federal government for federal recognition.[9] In 1985, their petition was denied.[10] The proposed finding stated: "The Kaweah Indian, Inc. is a recently formed group that did not exist prior to 1980. ... The KIN is primarily an urban Indian group in Porterville, California, which has no relation to the aboriginal Kaweah Indians and did not evolve from a tribal entity...."[1]
Nonprofit
[edit]The group formed a nonprofit organization in Porterville, California, but their nonprofit status was revoked in 2011 not failing to file taxes for three consecutive years.[2]
The group also formed a nonprofit in Wichita, Kansas, in 2005 but dissolved in 2008.[3]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Krenzke, Theodore C. (14 June 1984). "Recommendation and Summary of Evidence for the Proposed Finding Against Pederal Acknowledgment of the Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc., Pursuant to 25 CFR 83" (PDF). Office of Federal Acknowledgment. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ a b c "Kaweah Indian Nation in Porterville, California". EIN Tax ID. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc". OpenCorporates. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ a b Hilleary, Cecily (4 May 2017). "Native Americans Decry Appropriation of Their History, Culture". Voice of America. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ Recommendation and Summary of Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc., Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.
- ^ Sierra, Jorge Luis. "La tribu de los papeles sin valor legal" (in Spanish). Rumbo. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ Garcia, Oskar (2007-08-17). "Tribes Offer Membership to Immigrants". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ "Kan. man who sold tribal memberships gets 5 years". Tucson. Arizona Daily Star. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ "Petitioner #070A: Kaweah Indian Nation, CA". US Department of the Interior. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ Fritz, John W. (April 11, 1985). "Final Determination That the Kaweah Indian Nation, Inc., Does Not Exist as an Indian Tribes" (PDF). Federal Register. 50 (70): 14302. Retrieved 27 September 2022.