An author who rose to prominence after claiming to be Navajo and for writing stories about his alleged Navajo upbringing is actually a white man, LA Weekly reported this week.

Based on interviews and other information, LA Weekly concluded that "Nasdijj," the author of three memoirs, is actually Timothy Barrus, a writer of gay and pornographic literature. Both were born around the same time but Barrus is definitely not Navajo.

"Nasdijj" claimed to have been born on the Navajo Reservation in 1950 to a white father and a Navajo mother. His memoirs dealt with his alleged Navajo heritage although he said his mother died of alcoholism when he was 7.

"Nasdijj" also wrote about an adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome whom he said was Navajo. There is no evidence to prove the son ever existed although Barrus and his wife at one point adopted an autistic boy, LA Weekly said.

More recently, "Nasdijj" claimed to have cared for Navajo boy with AIDS named "Awee." The boy is said to have died.

Get the Story:
Navahoax (LA Weekly 1/25)
Nasdijj's Blog (LA Weekly 1/25)
Author of Disputed Memoir to Go on Oprah (AP 1/25)
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