In 2016, I was part of a “cultural exchange” trip to New Zealand. I made a mistake. I spoke indirectly on behalf of Cherokee people.
Those in charge of this trip were a Maori woman named Doreen Bennett and a man who claims to be Cherokee named Mashu White Feather, aka Larry Johnson.
At that point in time, I barely knew Mashu and was unaware of his past. The Cherokee Nation, UKB and EBCI have confirmed that he is not a member of any of their tribes.
He is not Cherokee, nor a speaker for Cherokee people and neither am I.
I was mistakenly identified in a news story as a Cherokee Nation member by the Te Karere news service. At that time, I believed I had Cherokee ancestry. However, I have since learned there is no proof of that. I mistakenly referred to myself as Cherokee.
Someone at Te Karere misinterpreted this to mean that I was a Cherokee Nation member, but that is not what I said.
With regard to Mashu, considering he had me convinced that he was a “Cherokee elder” at that point in time, I did not see fit to correct the many inaccuracies and misunderstandings that he delivered as a public speaker.
I received no financial compensation whatsoever for going on this trip.
I want to apologize and make amends for what I have done. I hope in the future I can be a good ally.
Luke Mason
Cherokee, NC
