Millions Sinking into the Rabbit Hole of Indian Country Non-Profits

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(Photo: Iron Eyes Cody, an Italian who claimed to be Native American, with Roy Roger, in North of the Great Divide, 1950.) Iron Eyes Cody and Princess Pale Moon, both frauds, were part of the non-profit American Indian Heritage Foundation television commercials. The non-profit was shut down, but it had already solicited both cash and land donations with its "Give the land back to the Indians" campaign.

Millions Sinking into the Rabbit Hole of Indian Country Non-Profits

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Update Feb. 2, 2024

The fraud in non-profits in Indian country is far worse than we imagined. Due to extensive fraud, we have only provided a glimpse of a few in our two reports, and the worst ones are not listed due to possible ongoing state investigations.

The bottom line is millions were donated for Native people in need, those on the frontline, and those who live on the land, and it was never distributed.

The tax documents are online. Here's what they reveal:

1. Millions stashed in bank accounts, real estate and huge salaries for the benefit of the non-profit staff.

2. The widespread flow of money to the executive directors and CEOs' children and family members.

3. Grants to frauds. Non-Indians suddenly become 'Indians,' usually claiming to be Yaqui, Cherokee or Apache.

4. Executive staff receive multiple salaries by forming multiple organizations with similar names or issues.

5. Millions are stashed in real estate purchases under a different organization, or an LLC. 

6. Foreign investments.

7. The grant money often comes in from some of the worst offenders in Indian country, including revenues from coal mining on the Navajo Nation, and the construction of railroads in the northwest, where the land theft resulted in massacres, including the Sand Creek Massacre.

8. There are also non-Indians heading up 'Native American' non-profits by packing the board with Natives and then giving them no power or financial information.

9. There are many takeovers by executive directors or board members who throw out the traditional Natives who founded the movement.

10. Non-profits at the United Nations are representing tribes and victims without permission from the tribes, or families of victims. Professors who are quoted in U.N. reports have plagiarized Native people living on the land, even after being told to stop. The usurping and co-opting of people's lives and life work becomes cash for non-profits by way of grants, while professors profiteer from plagiarism with books.

The average executive salary at Indian country non-profits is $100,000 to $300,000, and soar to $1.2 million.

Don't expect the news media in Indian country to investigate, most are now part of the non-profit industry. This created a new money pipeline of Las Vegas casino money flowing through tribes to non-profit media. 

Millions are pouring into non-profits in Indian country. Censored News was asked to investigate, and we did. For a year now. Here's what we found.

Non-profits receiving millions are only distributing a portion of those funds. Instead, large portions are being stashed in real estate, buildings, and bank accounts. The executive salaries are shocking, averaging $100,000 to $300,000.

All of the ones we looked at are giving salaries and contracts to the executive director's children and family members.

The largest salaries we've found are to hospital executives in Alaska and on the Navajo Nation, $500,000 to $1.2 million.

Frauds are doing very well. Some of those suddenly claiming to be 'Indians' have changed their identities repeatedly, in a dizzying array of tribal identities, and could face prison time due to the large amount of money involved.

Non-Indians are scamming the public with their so-called 'Native American' non-profits by setting up boards comprised of Natives, and then denying them a role in decision-making, or access to financial records.

In some cases, like the non-Indian daughters of the sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial, the salaries to the two women totaled a half million dollars in the last tax year.

The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation received more than $23 million in donations in 2021. It ended the year with $121 million in assets and cash. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/460220678/202310269349301816/full

As for those testifying at the United Nations, some are plagiarizing grassroots activists, especially professors who have been told to stop this. It turns into cash when they write grants, and publish books. Non-profits are representing Natives without consent from the tribes or families of victims at the United Nations.

Conferences in resort hotels average $300,000 using money that was intended for those in need or on the front line of struggle.

As for attorney non-profits, the millions aren't being used to provide attorneys for some of the most important cases. The Paiute Shoshone arrested for defending Peehee Mu'huh, Thacker Pass, from the lithium mining now tearing into the Paiute massacre site, have constantly asked for attorneys to help.

In another case, the excessive force by law enforcement at Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock case, it proceeded but needed more attorneys on their legal team. (At this point, the federal court has ruled in favor of law enforcement, regardless of the critical injuries to water protectors. In similar cases nationwide, those injured by police have received large sums of compensation.)

Here are some of the scams being used:

1. A non-profit asks you if you need help, but never tells you about the grants they write and the large amounts of money received.

2. Tossing out peanuts, that's tossing out minimal funding for projects or used clothes and expired donated foods.

3. Playing poor so they can use your research and life work for grants or for their books without paying for it.

4. The power-hungry are taking over non-profits and removing, throwing out, the founding traditional elders.

5. Using people's names and struggles for grant funding without telling them.

6. Deceiving the public with press releases and social media self-promotion.

7. St. Labre Catholic Mission was sued by Northern Cheyenne for collecting funds for children, and then funneling millions to the Catholic Church. Since churches do not have to file tax returns, they are often involved in what is called "poverty porn," using photos and videos of Native children in publicity for fundraising, without telling the public how the funds are really being spent. In the case of St. Labre, Northern Cheyenne children were left desperate while the funds were sent to the Catholic Church.

8. Some of the popular media in Indian country are diving down into the rabbit hole of deception. While laced with non-profit dollars, the reporters remain in their easy chairs for the most part, and rely on plagiarism, rewrites and phone calls. It is aimed at deceiving their readers into believing that they are out covering the news.

9. Individual fellowships of $100,000 are often divisive and benefit a chosen few.

Virginia Non-Profit Among Top Recipients of Non-profit Dollars

The Native American Heritage Association in Front Royal, Virginia has one of largest bank accounts in the industry in Indian country. It received $371 million in grants and donations between 2017 -- 2021.

Lakotas say they are bringing in expired, donated foods, and used clothing while receiving millions. NAHA says on its website, "NAHA’s trucks leave our office every day with loads of nutritious food that will be delivered to Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Rosebud Reservations." https://www.naha-inc.org/

The Partnership with Native Americans in Texas

The Partnership with Native Americans in Addison, Texas, says it collects money for disaster relief in Indian country -- but it has $27 million stashed in its own assets -- bank accounts and property.

It pays its top execs salaries of $100,000 to $200,000. It claims to serve Navajos and Lakotas. In the past five years, it has received $150 million in grants and donations.

There are many people in desperate need of food, water and fuel -- but non-profit funds seldom reach them, except with minimal donations to gain publicity. The tax documents are at ProPublica Explorer.

https://projects.propublica.org/.../202342129349301029/full

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Partnership with Native Americans in Texas, 2022 tax return, shows salaries for top executives.

All of this information can be found in the tax documents on ProPublica Explorer, along with the websites of the non-profits, and on public statements about the donations from the foundations.

Previous article by Censored News

Non-Profits in Indian Country: Fraud, Secrecy and Deep Deception (2022)

Censored News in-depth article on fraud in non-profits in Indian country in 2022. Among the worst situations, the Ajo, Arizona, food bank gave food boxes to Tohono O'odham grandparents while the food pantry was overrun with rats, according to a report from the health department.

Funds for traditional agriculture are often used for conferences in resort hotels, averaging $300,000, and lavish salaries and expense accounts for non-profit staff, instead of actually growing food. Native seeds are being sold by non-profits without the people's permission.

The non-Indian sisters of the non-Indian sculptor of the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota had some of the largest salaries in Indian country, and currently has one of the largest revenues in Indian country.

The money flowing into non-profits comes from some of the worst offenders -- including revenues from coal mining on the Navajo Nation and global Indigenous lands, and from revenues from railroads that resulted in land theft and massacres.

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-money-pump-non-profits-in-indian.html

Also, search for tax documents:

ProPublica Explorer, free search 

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/

Copyright by Brenda Norrell, Censored News. May not be used without written permission. Censored News content may not be used in any manner that results in revenues.