Best of both tribes

Linda White Wolf, a member of the Chickasaw Tribe from Oklahoma and host of Arizona Native News on the Pat McMahon Show on KAZ-TV, never knew about her Maori heritage until she happened to come in contact with a Maori cousin. Manny Down, a Maori, was leading a Maori group to Phoenix for an alternative health care conference so White Wolf contacted him. It wasn’t until their second email that they learned that they were related. From there, everything fell into place for White Wolf to go to New Zealand to meet with her Maori family and they welcomed her with open arms. “There is a difference between Maori and American Indian. With Maoris, all that matters is where you come from and who your ancestors are. You don’t have to show any blood quantum,” White Wolf said. “All you have to prove is that you have family.”