LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA: A professor from the University of California, Riverside, Andrea Smith, who has long been accused of falsely claiming Native American heritage, is set to retire.
However, she will keep her privileges and title intact, as a result of a separation agreement reached with the university.
The separation agreement will also allow Smith to continue teaching at the university through till August of 2024 where she currently holds a tenured faculty position as the Ethnic Studies professor.
According to the Daily Mail, this agreement, negotiated by the institution, arises from a recent joint complaint filed by over a dozen fellow faculty members who are accusing Smith of violating academic integrity by fabricating her Native American lineage.
UC Riverside sidesteps legal battle with professor Andrea Smith
The unconventional nature of the agreement that the university has worked out with Smith allows her to retain her full benefits as a retiring faculty member and use the honorary emeritus title.
Additionally, the university has agreed to reimburse Smith up to $5,000 for legal expenses she incurred during the resolution of the complaint.
The separation agreement, signed in January, effectively sidesteps a formal investigation into the faculty's allegations against Smith.
The deal has also prevented the potential legal battle that could have arisen if the university were to attempt terminating the employment of the tenured professor.
A representative from Riverside stated that the agreement "brings a timely conclusion to Professor Smith’s continued employment with the university."
"Investigations of a tenured faculty member for alleged misconduct have potential for litigation and appeals, and can unfold over the course of years," he added.
The controversy surrounding Smith's claims of Native American heritage has roots dating back to 2008 when she was denied tenure at the University of Michigan.
This was the time when suspicions regarding her background had first surfaced.
However, her dissertation adviser, Angela Davis, a well-known radical activist and academic, had defended her, saying she was a prominent Indigenous feminist intellectual.
This prompted Cherokee scholars to conduct inquiries into Smith's background themselves, leading to revelations that she was not officially registered with the Cherokee tribe. Smith had, by then, already established much of her public and personal identity around this affiliation.
Although she failed to secure tenure at the University of Michigan, Smith was subsequently hired by UC Riverside. However, questions surrounding her lineage have persisted over the years.
Andrea Smith's Cherokee ancestry claims dismissed by genealogist
In 2015, amidst the Rachel Dolezal scandal, which revolved around claims of racial misrepresentation, Smith faced renewed scrutiny.
Notably, Cherokee genealogist David Cornsilk revealed that his prior research into Smith's ancestry found no connections between her and the Cherokee Nation.
He published an op-ed emphasizing that individuals like Smith perpetuate falsehoods by invoking inaccurate notions of Cherokees "passing for white" or being "saved" by White people.
Cornsilk wrote: "Wannabes like Andrea use the myths of Cherokees hiding in the hills, passing for white or being saved by righteous whites, to perpetuate their lies."
"In the 1990s, Andrea Smith sought me out as a Cherokee genealogist, on two separate occasions, to see if she had any connections," he continued, stating, "My research into Smith's ancestry showed that her ancestry was not connected to the Cherokee people."
'"In the subsequent years, many have challenged her identity including representatives of the Cherokee Nation. In those ensuing years, she has had ample opportunity to come forth with proof of her Cherokee claims," he added.
Smith's scholarly work primarily centers on violence against women of color, particularly Native American women. Ironically, she has criticized White feminists for adopting Native American identities.
Over the years, various family members have contradicted Smith's claims, asserting that there is no Native American heritage within their family's lineage.
Relatives from both her father's and mother's sides have debunked her assertions on numerous occasions.
Despite the ongoing controversy, UC Riverside continued to support Smith's tenure.
In 2015, during the peak of the scandal, the university praised her as a valuable educator and researcher, irrespective of the concerns raised by her colleagues.
Andrea Smith's reaffirms Cherokee identity amid controversy
In response to the growing scrutiny, Smith issued a formal statement asserting her Cherokee identity and expressing hope that more Indigenous people would engage in social justice work without fear of backlash.
"To the academic and social justice organizing communities which I have been part of for many years, and to whom I am indebted, I have always been, and will always be Cherokee," her statement read.
"I have consistently identified myself based on what I knew to be true. My enrollment status does not impact my Cherokee identity or my continued commitment to organizing for justice for Native communities," she explained.
"There have been innumerable false statements made about me in the media," she asserted.
"But ultimately what is most concerning is that these social media attacks send a chilling message to all Native peoples who are not enrolled, or who are otherwise marginalized, that they should not publicly work for justice for Native peoples out of fear that they too may one day be attacked," she explained.
"It is my hope that more Indigenous peoples will answer the call to work for social justice without fear of being subjected to violent identity policing," she added.
"I also hope the field of Native studies might attend to disagreements and difference in a manner that respects the dignity of all persons rather than through abusive social media campaigns," said Smith in response to the online campaign against her.
"Out of respect for the dignity and privacy of my family, and out of concern for the damage that these attacks have had on my students, colleagues, and organizing communities, I will direct my energies back to the work of social justice," she concluded.
Smith's ambiguous statement, which tries to bury the core issue, is how she has navigated the dispute over the course of her professional career.
Consequently, she is poised to depart, potentially leaving behind decades of purported falsehoods, while retaining her full benefits and an honorary title.
