Relative of Graton Rancheria chairman disputes Indian heritage

Thursday, October 4, 2012  

Greg Sarris, the longtime chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, is not Indian, a relative said.

Velia Navarro is a second cousin to Sarris. Their family's ancestry is a mix of Filipino, Spanish and French -- but not Indian -- she said.

“I’m not Indian nor is he,” Navarro told Petaluma Patch “He’s a manipulator, he’s self-centered and he does things for his own benefit.”

Sarris has faced questions about his heritage in the past but has provided documentation of his Indian ancestors, according to Patch.

Get the Story:
Relative of Tribe Chairman: "I'm Not an Indian and Neither Is He" (Petaluma Patch 10/3)

Coast Miwok Tribe stands by ancestry of chairman (2/18)