Taffe Reed herself did not respond to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment but she did provide statements to Inside Higher Ed and local news outlet Valley News. In neither instance did she specifically disprove the genealogy that has been posted online.
She told Inside Higher Ed, “My ties to all aspects of my identity are very important to me. Throughout this process, I have been forthright about my personal and professional experience. Given the history of this continent, it is not uncommon for Native identities to be mixed and complex.”
Dartmouth spokeswoman Diana Lawrence was more direct with Valley News, claiming that the genealogical blog post was inaccurate: “Susan Taffe Reed is of Native and European heritage. She has never represented herself as a member of a federal- or state-recognized tribe. She was transparent about her professional and personal experience throughout the search process. We are satisfied with the information she provided and are confident in her qualifications for this position.”
But, as the Valley News notes, Lawrence “did not specify the inaccuracies” with the blog post.
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