Gavin MacLeod, Chippewa?

Someone named Shawn Lealos posted a list of 10 Native American Movie Stars. Among the dubious claimants were Benjamin Bratt and Anthony Quinn (Latinos) and Taylor Lautner (white with a bit of Indian blood). But the strangest one was Gavin MacLeod:Gavin MacLeod is best known for his role as Captain Merrill Stubing on the classic television series “The Love Boat.” The Native American movie star is a Chippewa Indian who appeared in movies such as “Operation Petticoat” and “Kelly’s Heroes.”MacLeod's Wikipedia entry confirms the basic fact, if not the alleged identity:Born Allan George See in Mount Kisco, New York, the oldest of two children, born to Margaret (née Shea) See (1906-2004), who was a middle school dropout, who in turn worked for Reader's Digest. He grew up in Pleasantville and studied acting at Ithaca College, graduating in 1952. His father, George See (1906-1945), a gas station attendant, was a Chippewa (Ojibwa).Comment:  We'd have to know more about George See before we could call MacLeod an Indian. Assuming Wikipedia is correct, was he an enrolled member of a Chippewa tribe? How much Chippewa blood did he have: 100%? 50%? 25%? Less? Or was he only someone with an undocumented Chippewa "princess" in his background?

If See was an enrolled member, or at least half Chippewa by blood, MacLeod might well be a legitimate Indian. But if See was only 1/4 or 1/8 Chippewa, then probably not. None of the postings I scanned addressed this crucial point.

Unless Lealos knows MacLeod's genealogy, he can't call MacLeod a "Native American movie star" or a "Chippewa Indian." As always, having a small amount of Indian blood doesn't make one an Indian. And Lealos can't call MacLeod a movie star in any case. MacLeod never had a starring movie role and earned most of his fame in TV.

For more on identity issues, see The Myth of Churchill's Iroquois Ancestors and Churchill and Clinton Are Cherokee?