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| Iron Eyes Cody, an Italian who masqueraded as an Indian, and Princess Pale Moon, both were exposed as frauds. They were part of the non-profit American Indian Heritage Foundation television commercials before the non-profit was shut down. It solicited both cash and land in its "Give the land back to the Indians" campaign. (Photo Iron Eyes Cody presents President Jimmy Carter with a headdress on April 21, 1978. Photo courtesy of Peter Bregg/Associated Press) |
The Money Pump -- Non-Profits in Indian Country: Fraud, Secrecy and Deep Deception
Censored News spent months looking at the tax records of non-profits in Indian country. Here's what we found: The non-profit structure puts lots of money into the pockets of a few. We've updated our article with more documents and Standing Rock Nation's ban on two non-profits.
By Brenda Norrell
Censored NewsUpdated May 3, 2023
The average income in Indian country is $40,000.
The average salary of an executive director at a non-profit in Indian country is $100,000 to $200,000, with more money being funneled to family members. The annual salaries at non-profits in Indian country are as high as $1.2 million for executives.
Many executive directors of non-profits in Indian country have been playing poor, especially when grassroots groups asked for funding. Now, their tax documents are online and reveal that many receive millions of dollars in grants and donations each year.
The tax records show CEOs and executive directors giving themselves lavish salaries and expense accounts. In some cases, the CEOs are non-Indians, and in other cases they are frauds. Some have suddenly become Cherokee, Yaqui or Apache.
The Exploitation of O'odham Sacred Lifeways
Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham elder, said non-profits are exploiting the sacred.
