SIX DEGREES OF WARD CHURCHILL
Ward Churchill's claims of Indian ancestry were questioned in an extensive genealogy by the Rocky Mountain News in 2005, which identified 142 direct forebears of Churchill and found no evidence that any of them were American Indians. Now the controversial University of Colorado ethnic studies professor says he has black ancestry as well.
Churchill made that claim while answering questions at the Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair in San Francisco on March 17. In a video clip available at tinyurl.com/yvlr9b, Churchill criticized as racist the vote this month by the Cherokee Nation to oust freedmen - descendants of slaves once owned by Cherokees - from tribal rolls. After repeating the debunked claims of his Indian ancestry and membership in an established Indian tribe, Churchill said: "Actually, I do have black ancestry."
Contacted by the Rocky, Churchill declined to elaborate on his claim.
ANY VOLUNTEERS?
"I don't know if you're going to find five people stupid enough to serve on this."
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, on the creation of an Amendment 41 ethics commission. 15
ROCKY FLASHBACK
10 years ago this week
• Friendliness leads to bonanza
A 43-year-old Peyton man is the latest Lotto winner, and he may have his friendly nature to thank. He said he bought five Lotto tickets after he saw some friends at Magi's Grocery store. "I thought I'd stop by to say hello to them," he said. "They were buying Lotto tickets, so I decided to buy one. They bought five, so I just went ahead and bought five." The first of 25 annual payments was $68,000 after taxes and will grow 3.7 percent until the final $162,617 post-tax payment.
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