Theodore C. and Emily Van Alst

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2026

CHEROKEE, N.C. — The Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) today released a comprehensive 70-page genealogical and investigative report disproving the American Indian identity claims of Portland State University Professor Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. and his daughter, Washington State University Assistant Professor Emily C. Van Alst.
Following several dozen public and professional inquiries requesting verification of the Van Alsts' Native identity claims, TAAF's professional genealogical team conducted an exhaustive analysis examining 1,778 individuals across up to eight generations. The investigation concluded that both individuals possess zero American Indian ancestry and are of exclusively European heritage.

• Genealogical Disproof: Extensive archival research traced all branches of the Van Alst family tree—including Dutch, French-Canadian, Scottish, Irish, English, and German lines—finding no connections to any American Indian tribe.
  
• Disproven Oral Histories: Claims that paternal ancestors fled to Canada with Sitting Bull following the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1877 were disproven. Genealogical records confirm the key ancestor in question was born and resided continuously in Bay City, Michigan.
  
• Shifted Affiliations: Over two decades, the Van Alsts have claimed varying affiliations, including Sihásapa Lakota, Cherokee/Eastern Cherokee, Ho-Chunk, Chippewa, and Ottawa. Recently, both enrolled in the "Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians Inc.," a Michigan nonprofit organization operating as a non-sovereign heritage group.
  
• Harmful Stereotypes in Literature: The report finds that Theodore Van Alst, Jr. has leveraged fictionalized narratives of an impoverished, gang-affiliated youth to validate his claims to Native identity, despite being raised in a middle-class Chicago family with deep ties to law enforcement.
  
• Misrepresentation in Archaeology: The report details how Emily Van Alst's academic publications misattribute centuries-old Northern Great Plains rock art to Lakota creators, ignoring established archaeological evidence attributing the art to Caddoan, Crow, Shoshone, Mandan, and other Plains tribes.
  
• Bypassing Tribal Research Ethics: Despite advocating in print for mandatory Tribal Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, Emily Van Alst conducted research on the Pine Ridge Reservation without obtaining permission from the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
  

Claimed Identity / Tribal LineTAAF Investigative FindingSihásapa Lakota (Pine Ridge)Disproven. No Lakota ancestors; key family members resided in Michigan during Sitting Bull's Canadian exile.
Cherokee / Eastern CherokeeDisproven. Maternal lines trace to white families in Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina who were never recognized on Cherokee rolls.
Leech Lake Chippewa / OttawaDisproven. No ancestors appear on the 1907 Durant Roll or any historical Leech Lake census rolls.
Ho-Chunk NationDisproven. Ancestral geography shows zero historic ties to Ho-Chunk territories in Wisconsin or Illinois.
Mackinac Bands "Enrolled Member"Non-Tribal Affiliation. The entity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, not a federally or legally recognized sovereign Indian Tribe.

In light of the findings, TAAF calls upon academic institutions, publishers, and funding organizations to take immediate corrective steps:

1. Resignations & Disavowal: TAAF calls for Theodore Van Alst, Jr. and Emily Van Alst to resign their university faculty positions and publicly apologize for exploiting Native identities for professional gain.
   
2. Financial Audits: Universities, granting bodies, and academic presses are urged to audit and recover diversity fellowships, grant funding, and endowed chair resources awarded under false identity claims.
   
3. Publication Reviews: Academic presses—including the University of New Mexico Press—are called upon to review editorial appointments and publications that perpetuate pretendian scholarship and undermine tribal sovereignty.
   
4. Enforceable Verification Policies: Institutions must implement rigorous verification procedures relying on enrollment or citizenship in federally recognized Tribal Nations rather than self-identification.
   

TAAF extends an open invitation to academic institutions, scholarly associations, and publishers to review the

complete 70-page report, which includes detailed fan charts, Ahnentafel ancestral lines, historical death certificates, and evidentiary analysis.

The full report, titled "Investigation into the American Indian Identity Claims of Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. and Emily C. Van Alst" (Version 2), is available for public download on the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds website.

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