Runway look from Korina Emmerich. Photo from Project Runway
A Native American designer who was eliminated from the current season of Project Runway reaffirmed her Puyallup heritage but said she never claimed to be an enrolled member of the Washington tribe. Korina Emmerich repeatedly expressed pride in her ancestry during her run on the popular Lifetime Television show. In an e-mail to Matt Nagle, the managing editor of The Puyallup Tribal News, she insisted that she never misrepresented her affiliation. "I am not an enrolled member, I have never claimed to be an enrolled member. My family has documentation of ancestry related to the Puyallups," Emmerich said in the message, a copy of which was copied to Indianz.Com, which published Nagle's story about the contestant's lack of membership. Emmerich is correct -- in the opening episode, she never said she was enrolled. It was Indianz.Com, Indian Country Today and other outlets that described her as a member of the tribe. "My Family has been a product of one of the most 'successful Indian schools' in Fife, Washington," Emmerich wrote. "My Grandmother was taught to denounce her linage and that it is something she should be ashamed of. With all the arguing and dissension within Puyallup tribal affairs, we have never considered going through the often frustrating and degrading process of applying for membership. I have never been taught that I needed a card or a piece of paper to prove my ancestry." Emmerich was a strong competitor throughout the show but was eliminated on the 11th episode. She was still able to show a collection during New York Fashion Week but was not considered a finalist.
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