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Quick facts for kids Ward Churchill
Churchill speaking at the Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair in 2005
Born	Ward LeRoy Churchill (1947-10-02)October 2, 1947 Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 11, 2026(2026-08-11) (aged 78)
Education	Sangamon State University
Occupation	Author, activist, academic
Notable work	On the Justice of Roosting Chickens
Spouse(s)	Dora-Lee Larson (div. 1984) Marie Annette Jaimes (div. 1995) Leah Kelly (died 2000) Natsu Saito (m. 2005)
Scientific career
Institutions	University of Colorado, Boulder

Ward LeRoy Churchill (born October 2, 1947 – died August 11, 2026) was an American activist, writer, and university professor. He taught ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1990 to 2007. Much of Churchill's work focused on how the United States government has treated Native Americans and people who disagreed with its policies throughout history. He often shared his strong opinions directly.

Churchill claimed to have Native American family roots. However, research into his family history did not find proof of this ancestry. He was also not officially recognized as a member of any Native American tribe. In 2005, an essay he wrote in 2001, titled "On the Justice of Roosting Chickens", became widely discussed. In this essay, he argued that the September 11 attacks were a result of past U.S. foreign policies.

In March 2005, the University of Colorado started looking into claims that Churchill had not done his research properly. He was later fired on July 24, 2007. Churchill sued the university, saying he was unfairly fired. A jury agreed with him in 2009, but a judge later overturned this decision. His appeals to higher courts were not successful.

Who Was Ward Churchill?
Books by Ward Churchill
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Who Was Ward Churchill?

Early Life and Education

Ward Churchill was born in Urbana, Illinois on October 2, 1947. His parents divorced before he was two years old. He grew up in Elmwood, Illinois, where he went to local schools.

In 1966, Churchill was called to serve in the United States Army. On his resume in 1980, he said he worked as a public information specialist. He claimed to have written newsletters and news releases for his battalion. In 1987, he also stated he went to paratrooper school and served in Vietnam.

Records from the Department of Defense showed that Churchill was trained as a film projectionist and truck driver. They did not show training for paratroopers or special reconnaissance.

Churchill earned his bachelor's degree in technological communications in 1974. He received his master's degree in communication theory in 1975. Both degrees were from Sangamon State University, which is now the University of Illinois at Springfield.

His Career at the University

In 1978, Churchill began working at the University of Colorado Boulder. He helped with fairness in hiring in the university's administration. He also gave talks about Native American issues in the ethnic studies program. In 1990, the University of Colorado hired him as an associate professor. He did not have the advanced degree usually needed for this position.

The next year, he was given a permanent teaching position (called tenure) in the Communication department. This happened without the usual trial period. In 1992, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Alfred University.

In 1994, the university's leader, James Corbridge, did not act on claims that Churchill was falsely claiming Native American identity. Corbridge stated that the university's policy was that a person's background is self-declared.

In 1996, Churchill moved to the new Ethnic Studies Department. He became a full professor in 1997. In June 2002, he was chosen to lead the department. University records show that Churchill was given tenure in a "special opportunity position."

In January 2005, during the discussion about his 9/11 essay, Churchill stepped down as chairman of the ethnic studies department. His term as chair was already set to end that June.

Investigation into His Work

In 2005, the University of Colorado looked into whether Churchill had wrongly claimed his ethnicity. They wanted to see if this was done to make his academic work seem more believable. The committee decided this claim was not part of "research misconduct." The university stated that it does not hire based on a person's ethnicity.

On July 24, 2007, Churchill was fired for academic misconduct.

The quality of Churchill's research had been questioned by other scholars. These included legal scholar John LaVelle and historian Guenter Lewy.

In 2005, university leaders ordered an investigation into seven claims of research misconduct against Churchill. The claims included copying others' work without credit (plagiarism). There were also claims that he made up or changed facts about historical laws. These included the Dawes Act and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. He was also accused of falsely claiming that smallpox was intentionally spread to Native Americans.

On May 16, 2006, the university shared its findings. The committee found that Churchill had committed "serious research misconduct." This included changing facts, making things up, and plagiarism. The committee disagreed on how severely he should be punished. After more discussions, the university's governing board voted to uphold all seven findings of misconduct. They then voted to fire Churchill.

The next day, Churchill filed a lawsuit. He claimed his firing was unfair because of his unpopular political views. A jury later decided that Churchill had been wrongly fired. They awarded him $1 in damages. However, a judge later said the university was protected by a special legal rule. This judge canceled the jury's decision and said Churchill would not receive money. Churchill appealed this decision, but it was upheld by higher courts.

On April 1, 2013, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear Churchill's case. A report in 2011 from a group that protects professors' rights said Churchill's firing was not fair.

His Writings and Ideas

According to the University of Colorado investigation, Churchill's academic writings mostly combined and re-explained ideas from other scholars. They were not new research based on original documents. He often published his work with smaller, independent publishers. These were different from the larger university presses or academic journals. Some critics said his work contained many mistakes due to careless research.

In 1986, Churchill wrote an essay called Pacifism as Pathology. In it, he criticized some peaceful political movements. He argued they were not effective or fair. This essay was later published as a book. This book caused many discussions among activists. It also influenced some groups to use stronger methods in their protests.

Churchill's book, Indians Are Us? (1994), looked at Native American topics in movies, TV, and government. It was a follow-up to his earlier book, Fantasies of the Master Race. He discussed topics like the movie Black Robe and the use of Native American sports mascots. He also wrote about laws like the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 and blood quantum laws. He believed these were harmful to Native American communities.

Churchill strongly spoke out against people who misused Native American spiritual practices. He also criticized authors who pretended to have deep knowledge of Native American cultures. John P. LaVelle, a Native American law professor, reviewed the book. He said that Indians Are Us? changed historical facts and was unfair to Native American tribes.

In this book, Churchill claimed that the United States gave blankets infected with smallpox to Native American tribes. He repeated this claim often, but it has been criticized as being untrue.

Views on Native American History

Churchill argued that Native American populations faced harsh treatment and displacement. He believed this was a long and widespread effort to remove them from their lands. He pointed to policies like the Indian Removal Act. He also mentioned the forced schooling of Native American children in American Indian boarding schools. He saw these actions as part of a plan to take away Native American lands and culture. He called the idea of "manifest destiny" a way to excuse taking land from Native Americans.

Churchill argued that the U.S. government created "blood quantum laws." These laws defined who was considered Native American based on their ancestry. He believed these laws were designed to reduce the number of recognized Native Americans over time. He said that if the rules were too strict, Native Americans might eventually be "defined out of existence."

His ideas about blood quantum were discussed during the investigation into his research. Some accused him of using his views to criticize tribal governments that did not accept him as a member. Native American activist Russell Means defended Churchill. He said that Native Americans are unique because they often have to prove their ancestry.

The 9/11 Essay Controversy

In September 2001, Churchill wrote an essay called On the Justice of Roosting Chickens. He argued that the September 11 attacks were a reaction to past U.S. foreign policies. He believed that the actions of some people working in the World Trade Center were part of a larger system. He saw this system as causing harm through U.S. influence around the world.

This essay caused a lot of strong reactions. Many people criticized Churchill, while his supporters said he was being unfairly attacked. The university's leader said that Churchill had the right to share his views. However, the leader also stated that the essay had upset many people.

His Art

Churchill's artwork often featured Native American people and themes. He used old photographs as inspiration for his pieces. In the early 1990s, Churchill protested a law called the 1990 Indian Arts and Crafts Act. This law said that artists had to be officially recognized by a Native American tribe to sell their work as "Native American made."

One of Churchill's artworks, a print called Winter Attack (1981), was based on a drawing by another artist, Thomas E. Mails. Churchill made many copies and sold some. He stated that he always said his work was based on Mails's drawing. There was some discussion about how original his artwork was.

Personal Life and Ancestry Claims

In 1977, Churchill began living with Dora-Lee Larson. They later divorced in 1984. Churchill then married Marie Annette Jaimes, who also worked at the University of Colorado. Their marriage ended in 1995.

Churchill's third wife was Leah Kelly. On May 31, 2000, Kelly, who was 25, was hit by a car and died. Churchill wrote that her death deeply affected him. Churchill was married to Natsu Saito, a professor of ethnic studies.

Questions About His Ancestry

In 2003, Churchill stated that he had Muscogee and Cherokee ancestry. He also claimed to be an enrolled member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Over the years, he gave different amounts for his claimed Native American heritage.

In 2005, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians stated that Churchill was not a member. They said he was given an honorary "associate membership" in the early 1990s. This was because he could not prove any Cherokee ancestry. The Band clarified that associate membership did not give voting rights or full tribal enrollment. They also said that Churchill's claims of full membership were false.

The Band's spokesperson, Lisa Stopp, said the tribe only enrolls members with a certified one-quarter American Indian blood. Churchill never asked for this certification. He said he found the idea of being "vetted" by the U.S. government offensive.

In June 2005, a newspaper called the Rocky Mountain News published an article about Churchill's family history. The newspaper's research found no evidence of any Native American ancestors among 142 of his direct relatives. The newspaper reported that both of Churchill's birth parents were listed as white in the 1930 census. Some of Churchill's accounts of where his ancestors lived also did not match official records. However, many members of Churchill's extended family have long-standing stories about having Native American ancestry.

Some Native American critics, like Vernon Bellecourt and Suzan Shown Harjo, argued that Churchill's claims of ancestry might be misleading. In a 2005 interview, Churchill said he never claimed to have one-quarter Native American blood. He also questioned what his ancestry had to do with his work.

Activism

Churchill was a leader of the Colorado AIM. He helped organize annual protests in Denver against the Columbus Day holiday and its parade.

Later Life

Ward Churchill passed away on August 11, 2026, at the age of 78. He died from a stroke.

Books by Ward Churchill

Marxism and Native Americans (1983)
Culture as Colonialism: The Other Side of the Indian Story (1992)
Fantasies of the Master Race: Literature, Cinema and the Colonization of American Indians (1992)
Struggle for the Land: Native North American Resistance to Genocide, Ecocide and Expropriation (1993)
Indians Are Us? Culture and Genocide in Native North America (1994)
From a Native Son: Selected Essays in Indigenism, 1985–1995 (1996)
A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas, 1492 to the Present (1997)
Pacifism as Pathology: Reflections on the Role of Armed Struggle in North America (1998)
Draconian Measures: The History of FBI Political Repression (2001)
Acts of Rebellion: The Ward Churchill Reader (2002)
Perversions of Justice: Indigenous Peoples and Angloamerican Law (2002)
Confronting Columbus: An Inquiry into the Roots of Racism, Colonialism, and Ethnocentrism (2004)
On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality (2005)
To Disrupt, Control, and Neutralize: The FBI's War Against the Black Panther Party (2006)
Speaking for the Generations: Native Writers to a New Century (2008)
Wielding Words Like Weapons: Selected Essays in Indigenism, 1995–2005 (2017)