DENVER- The Ward Churchill vs. CU trial continues today, featuring the much anticipated testimony of SCRUM hatchet chairwoman Mimi Wesson. But not before two dramatic points had already been made. First, that eugenics did play a part in the disenfranchisement of Native Americans, and second, that a witness brought from California by the plaintiff to talk about The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) would not be allowed to testify. The defense attorney objected that a Psychology School Dean was insufficiently “expert” on ACTA, and the judge concurred. You’re going to have to look it up, and the Denver jury is not even going to hear about it.
The audience is more sparse for this sixth day, as the trial enters its second of an expected three weeks. Although the subject matter is getting meatier. Last week’s testimonies, cross examination, and one too many overruled objections prompted Churchill’s attorney David Lane to call for a mistrial.
Today’s witnesses, the third one a hostile witness, will address the allegations made against Ward Churchill by CU. While arguments about plagiarism will entail discussing the methods of scholarship, accusations about fabrication of history will mean debunking Ward, or questioning the Master Narrative.
The General Allotment Act of 1887 and “Eugenics”
ALLEGATION A made against Ward Churchill by CU is that he characterized a 1887 legislative act as being “for the first time a formal Eugenics Code.” CU maintains that this is a misrepresentation, mostly because the word is not mentioned anywhere in the act. Lucky for us, eugenics historian Dr. Lombardo is on hand to label that accusation “silly.”
Allegations
A. Misrepresentation General Allotment Act of 1887, calling it a “Eugenics Code”
B. Misre Indian Arts and Crafts Act, requires blood percentage
C. John Smith 1614, started small pox epidemic
D. Small pox epidemic in Ft Clark ND, from St Louis
E. Plagiarism, work from pamphlet DAMN THE DAMS
F. Plagiarism from Rebecca Robbins
G. Plagiarism, Fay Cohen alegation, she never
A-D from Prof Lavell
E came from RMN
F-G came from Prof Lavell.
SCRUM chairperson Mimi Wesson, who did not recuse herself, even after it was revealed in an email:
“I confess to being somewhat mystified by the variety of people this unpleasant (to say the least) individual has been able to enlist to defend him. I know people say it’s the principle, but we aren’t all out there defending Bob Guccioni’s first amendment rights, although God knows he has them.”
and
“The rallying around Churchill reminds me unhappily of the rallying around OJ Simpson and Bill Clinton and now Michael Jackson and other charismatic male celebrity wrongdoers.” (well okay, I don’t really know that jackson is an…
more in a bit!
The Army gave smallpox blankets to protect Native American Freedom of Speech…
Or something like that.