Latgawa Indian wannabes

Legitimate claim or 'big fake'?

Latgawas draw a blank from Indian Affairs and ire of other tribes in their insistence on ownership of

By Damian MannThe office of the Latgawa Indian tribe in Central Point is filled with what members call documentation of its legitimacy—even down to a gold shield proclaiming its wearer the marshal of the tribe's justice court.

Chiefs Grey Eagle, aka John Newkirk, and Red Hawk, aka Rick Davis, say they've got patrol cars that roam 100 square miles of their land in Southern Oregon, 12 helicopters on standby to fight wildfires and the ability to issue valid Latgawa driver's licenses and license plates.

They say they're hereditary owners of the land that includes Gold Ray Dam near Gold Hill, and they've threatened to sue Jackson County all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court for refusing to negotiate with them over its removal.

But the U.S. Department of the Interior's Indian Affairs hasn't heard of the Latgawas. And other tribes condemn the Latgawas as nothing more than a private group claiming to be Indians.Comment:  Here's a clue about the Latgawas' legitimacy. Real Indians almost never have names like "Grey Eagle" or "Red Hawk." Having two "chiefs" with clichéd names is a big red flag.

Suggestion to Indian wannabes: If you want to convince us you're legitimate, choose real Indian names, not clichéd ones. Try a name that doesn't involve a majestic predator or a bold color. If you called yourself Spotted Deer, Hummingbird, or Rain Water, I'd be a hell of a lot less skeptical.

For what people who name themselves "Grey Eagle" or "Red Hawk" are thinking, see Indian Wannabes = Celebrity Wannabes. For more on Indian wannabes, see "Absentee Shawnee of Ohio" Wannabes and Anti-Government Extremists Pose as "Indians." For more on legitimate Indian names, see The Most Common Indian Names.