EPISODE · Dec 13, 2025 · 41 MIN
We're Still Here with Simon and Julie
from The John Fugelsang Podcast
This time - Simon Moya Smith and Julie Francella talk about Thomas King - an award-winning Canadian-American author whose career was tied to his apparent indigenous ancestry. He has recently learned that he has no Cherokee roots. The announcement follows a November meeting with King and members of the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds, a US-based group dedicated to exposing people who falsely claim American Indian heritage. And they discuss Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor best known for her roles in “Northern Exposure,” “Smoke Signals,” “Wyvern” and “The Last of Us”. While she was walking, 4 men wearing masks and vests with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement labels stepped out of two black SUVs with no front plates and pressed her for her ID. She handed them her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. The agents called it "FAKE". Federal government agencies recognize tribal ID as a valid form of identification, and Miles has used it to travel back and forth to Canada and Mexico without any issues - until now. Plenty of great callers and topics in this inspiring episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What this episode covers
This time - Simon Moya Smith and Julie Francella talk about Thomas King - an award-winning Canadian-American author whose career was tied to his apparent indigenous ancestry. He has recently learned that he has no Cherokee roots. The announcement follows a November meeting with King and members of the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds, a US-based group dedicated to exposing people who falsely claim American Indian heritage. And they discuss Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor best known for her roles in “Northern Exposure,” “Smoke Signals,” “Wyvern” and “The Last of Us”. While she was walking, 4 men wearing masks and vests with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement labels stepped out of two black SUVs with no front plates and pressed her for her ID. She handed them her tribal ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. The agents called it "FAKE". Federal government agencies recognize tribal ID as a valid form of identification, and Miles has used it to travel back and forth to Canada and Mexico without any issues - until now. Plenty of great callers and topics in this inspiring episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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We're Still Here with Simon and Julie
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