Sovereign Nations/Identity falsely claimed: Cherokee
Determination: Willful fraud
The National Tekakwitha Conference is a wonderful organization representing St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Gail Beth Rando has served on the board of directors for various terms, including at times, as the chair of the board of directors. It was brought to our attention that Beth claims to be Cherokee and centers herself as if she is a Cherokee woman with a Cherokee perspective and a right to a voice and a seat at the table where American Indian concerns are discussed. She is also chairing this board, which we understand is intended for American Indian people.
Lianna Costantino, TAAF director, met Gail at a retreat in Cherokee a few years ago. Lianna now facilitates this retreat. It was suggested that Lianna reach out to Gail to see whether she would recommend it to others. Gail’s response was rude, suggesting that Lianna had made unwelcome changes to the retreat (which now focuses on uncolonized authentic allyship, truth-telling, tribal sovereignty, anti-racism, true Cherokee history, intergenerational grief and trauma, etc.)
Lianna had also been told about Gail’s position with the Tekakwitha Conference and that Gail is not actually Cherokee. Lianna asked Gail about this but Gail refused to answer at all, saying at that point that “other people’s opinions of me are none of my business” and told Lianna not to contact her again.
This racist, white privileged attitude, along with her genealogy (which shows no American Indian ancestry whatsoever) and things like the racist picture of Gail (below), dressed in some sort of cheap costume and sharing her stereotypical fake “Indian name” with the world ("She Who Stands With The Wind In Her Face"), show an incredible lack of respect for the people she falsely claims to be descended from. Her unwillingness to even talk about (in order to learn and understand) why all of this is highly problematic has resulted in obviously willful ignorance and unrepentance regarding her entitled attitude that she can take whatever she wants from the Cherokee people with no accounting whatsoever.
It is her blatant entitlement and rude disrespect that prove without any doubt that this is a case of willful fraud. She clearly has no intention of admitting that she is not Cherokee at all, let alone apologizing for her behavior.
We at TAAF have zero doubt that the National Tekakwitha Conference will take this in hand and respond appropriately. But we also have little doubt that Gail will go forward continuing to lie about who and what she is. Therefore, she will be added to the frauds listed on our website and on all social media channels as a public service announcement to other organizations out there that this woman is a fraud.
