Wisconsin Activist Kay LeClaire Accused Of Faking Native American Heritage, Resigns From Leadership Positions
Jan. 4 2023, Published 8:30 p.m. ET
A Wisconsin community leader — who claimed indigenous heritage — had their true identity revealed. Kay LeClaire was discovered to be of white descent with zero ties to Native American culture. In the wake of the shocking discovery, LeClaire resigned from leadership positions, RadarOnline.com has learned.
LeClaire went by the name Nibiiwakamigkwe and identified as "two-spirit," which is a term many Indigenous people use for non-binary gender identity.
LeClaire was the co-founder of the queer Indigenous Art Collective group and hobby genealogist. They claimed to be of Ojibwe descent, among several other cultures that included Métis, Oneida, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Cuban and Jewish.
An internet sleuth and fellow hobby genealogist revealed that LeClaire's true ancestry was German, Swedish and French Canadian.
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According to local news outlet Madison365, the work of hobby genealogist AdvancedSmite led to uncovering the real lineage of LeClaire.
Their activism in Wisconsin earned multiple artist stipends, paid speaking engagements and art exhibitions.
LeClaire's notoriety through work with the Indigenous community created several profitable opportunities. LeClaire received a paid residency at the University of Wisconsin, as well as a position with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force.
The success, however, was built upon a lie. After LeClaire's ancestry was discovered, the former activist issued an apology for exploiting the heritage they once rallied to protect.
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"I am sorry," LeClaire wrote in a statement. "A lot of information has come to my attention since late December. I am still processing it all and do not yet know how to respond adequately. What I can do now is offer change."
The former activist promised to "reduce harm" to Native communities by following "directions provided by Native community members and community-specified proxies."
"Currently, this means that I am not using the Ojibwe name given to me and am removing myself from all community spaces, positions, projects, and grants and will not seek new ones," LeClaire said.
LeClaire was in possession of many cultural artifacts and other tokens with significant meaning, which are now scheduled to be returned.
LeClaire's statement raised eyebrows, as the fellow hobby genealogist who uncovered LeClaire's deception did so after finding their use of the Ojibwe name unusual, which LeClaire claimed was "given" to them.
"Typically something that would just be used in ceremony or with other people who are Ojibwe or a part of your community," AdvancedSmite said of what led to the investigation.
AdvancedSmite used online records to discover LeClaire's background, which was not associated with the Ojibwe or Anishinaabe community. LeClaire was actually Katie LeClaire from Sussex, Wisconsin. They attended the University of Wisconsin and married Adam Pagenkopf, a research specialist at the university, in 2018.
"You can't assume … that Kay LeClaire is an isolated incident … the pretending problem is a long-term, strategic issue," AdvancedSmite wrote in a statement to local news. "It's a fight for our future and identity."
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