Thomas King, a celebrated Canadian-American author whose literary career has been deeply intertwined with his presumed Indigenous heritage, has recently discovered that he has no Cherokee ancestry. This revelation came to light in an opinion piece published in the Globe and Mail on Monday, following a mid-November meeting with the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (Taaf), a U.S.-based organization dedicated to exposing individuals who falsely claim Native American lineage. The 82-year-old author, known for his award-winning works such as *The Inconvenient Indian* and *Indians on Vacation*, expressed profound personal turmoil, stating, ‘I feel as though I’ve been ripped in half.’ King, who grew up believing his paternal grandfather was part Cherokee, acknowledged that he never intended to mislead anyone, operating under the sincere belief in his mixed-blood heritage. Despite rumors about his ancestry persisting over the years, he had largely ignored them until this year, when he sought to uncover their origins. A genealogist with Taaf found no evidence of Cherokee ancestry in King’s family lineage. While Taaf suggested an apology might be in order, King argued that an apology implies wrongdoing, which he does not believe applies in this case. Born in California and a resident of Canada since 1980, King has built a distinguished career as an Indigenous studies professor at the University of Lethbridge. He has announced plans to return the National Aboriginal Achievement Award he received in 2003, emphasizing that his other accolades are based on his writing, not his ethnicity.