Pro-Trump singer and political commentator Kaya Jones has told the Gateway Pundit that the Secretary of State for Cherokee Nation is threatening to team up with other tribes to sue her for $50 million over her role at the National Diversity Coalition for Trump.
In December, Jones was named as the Native American Ambassador for Trump by the NDC. The former Pussycat Doll has a Native American father, Jamaican mother and is a strong voice within the MAGA movement — so the position seemed to be a natural fit for the artist given her culturally diverse upbringing.
Now, she is being threatened with a lawsuit by people who claim, without basis, that she is lying about her father’s heritage.
Though her father is Apache, many Native Americans immediately began attacking the singer and accusing her of lying about her ancestry. Jones told GWP that reporters and trolls have even been calling her relatives to harass them with questions and accusations about her family.
Her father, she told us, was removed from his reservation as a baby and she does not know much about his history.
“I genuinely want to find my heritage and learn about my father’s people and really need the Indigenous community to guide this path,” Jones told Gateway.
In addition to the harassment aimed at her family, Jones says she has been facing a barrage of threats and her Wikipedia page has been repeatedly vandalized.
I’ve received death threats, bullying, slander,deformation,intellectual property right attacked, parents attacked, family attacked, and now a lawsuit being filed against me for what? all because I was appointed to the NDC. Wow! Really mature guys! God help you! You’ll need it!
— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) January 7, 2018
One possible explanation for the vitriol is the fact that Jones has been posting about unrecognized tribes recently. She explained that the biggest lobbyists against unrecognized tribes gaining federal recognition, and thus funding and access to grants, are the ones who are already recognized.
The reason for this is that the money would have to be split more ways and they do not want to share.
Seeing as Obama and the past presidents haven’t made good on this for these tribes in the past 130 years maybe our @POTUS @realDonaldTrump will. He’s already #MAGA let’s make good for these tribes please sir https://t.co/12wuw6tlOL
— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) January 4, 2018
The claim is backed up by the Federal Recognition Services.
On a page explaining why some tribes remain unrecognized, the FRS cites other tribes strongly fighting against recognition for all.
“There is no inter-tribal support system for achieving Federal Recognition,” the website states. “Some of the strongest opposition to the federal recognition of a given Tribe often comes from other Tribes. Tribes that are presently Federally recognized want to protect their Federal funding benefits and future potential growth.”
Responding to Jones’ appointment, Chuck Hoskin Jr., the Secretary of State for Cherokee Nation, wrote, “Nearly 2 million members of federally recognized tribes in this country. 567 tribes with a government-to-government relationship with the United States. The President’s Diversity Coalition should have held out for an actual Indian as its ‘Native American Ambassador.'”
Tens of thousands of indigenous people are believed to belong to the dozens of tribes that are not recognized by the federal government. Apparently, they do not count in Hoskin’s eyes.
Another explanation is that Jones is a popular and effective supporter of the president and perhaps they just want to take her down. “They want to silence me and take away my platform,” Jones said.
A third potential reason for these attacks is that they wanted to appoint someone themselves. The trolls have been claiming that she is attempting to speak for “all Natives,” when she says that really is not the case.
“I can’t speak for all nations, only they can. My job is to get involved and give a loud microphone to their voices,” Jones said.
Defenders of Jones have repeatedly fought back, demanding that her attackers are just worried that she will be too effective at winning people over to the right.
Many who have been following the situation closely believe that the reason for this targeted harassment and smear campaign is likely a sinister combination of these potential motives.
The bullies also took offense to Jones playfully calling herself a “half-breed” because of her mixed heritage.
Is it a racial slur to call yourself your own racial slur? Wouldn’t it be offensive coming from someone who’s not? Ha! Classic! Don’t tell me what I can call what I am. #HalfBreed I am you are not! So you can’t use the word unless you are. Got it good
— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) December 21, 2017
Jones really set them off, however, when she posted about loving the Cher song, “Half-Breed.”
Another fellow #halfbreed – https://t.co/6uIcQdJhFz
best song from her. Never liked her political views but proud she spoke about what it feels like to be half. Good job Cher— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) December 21, 2017
The backlash ultimately lead to Cher being dragged into the Twitter brawl to defend her 1973 number one hit.
My mother has DARK Hair, she made it blonde cause Young Working actresses & models were blondes.She had lead in Asphalt Jungle,Till bombshell Named Monroe read for it. Heres my Beautiful mother, Bitch‼️She was nursed on a old cotton pick Sack,&You’re not fit to shine her shoes pic.twitter.com/wvPMv5P3fP
— Cher (@cher) December 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/NoRacistLogo/status/944389394470920193
I Did Song 50 yrs ago,& it wasn’t meant 2🐝offensive. However,That’s kinda Bull Shit excuse.Need to retire beautiful
Costume,& stop singing it,it’s WAY past time.
Im feeling litter tired (flew from Germany yesterday)& sick.Come round With Anger tomm.,I’ll be better Then— Cher (@cher) December 23, 2017
Even country music star Shania Twain ended up on the receiving end of some of the shrapnel for once recording a cover version of the song, but she has yet to respond to the hundreds of angered tweets sent her way.
Apparently Cher has now been dragged into my heritage and the @NDCTrump And now attacks on Shania whom I adore. I mean really? Do you guys ever write about real issues? Like the hundreds of native tribes unrecognized? https://t.co/kR40ZsNXLe
— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) January 7, 2018
Despite the relentless attacks, Jones has no plans to back down.
