Peltier calls Churchill a "phony"

Some little-known facts about the continuing controversy that is Ward Churchill:

Why is U of T Listening to Ward Churchill’s Nonsense?

By Peter WorthingtonBorn in 1947, in Urbana, Illinois, Churchill has claimed to have been drafted in 1966 and have taken parachute training before spending nearly a year in Vietnam on Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol in enemy territory. Supposedly, this combat experience radicalized him to work with the Weather Underground on return to civilian life, where he taught the art of bomb-making.

Impressive to some, perhaps, except that none of it is true.

Churchill might have been in army public information, and/or as a truck driver. Ranger regiments say there’s no record on him ever doing Long Range Patrols in Vietnam.

Ward Churchill also presents himself as having Indian blood--another of his wannabe traits. The leadership of the American Indian Movement (AIM) has denounced him--even suggested he was working undercover for the FBI--and the Cherokees have said there is no record of him having Indian blood. (Churchill has variously claimed one-sixteenth to three-sixteenth Cherokee blood, one-eighth Creek blood).

When I visited Leonard Peltier in Leavenworth prison (three times), on each occasion he had harsh things to say about Ward Churchill, and wanted no part of “this phony.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Churchill Loses Firing Appeal and Tim Wise on Ward Churchill.