Glenn T. Morris: Deceitful and Treacherous

As I noted recently, Glenn T. Morris has a history as agent provocateur. His calculated sabotage of the North American Preparatory Meeting for the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples — held in March at Sycuan — is only the latest in his long career as an obstructionist. Once expelled by the International Indian Treaty Council for disruptive behavior, and previously described by the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council as deceitful and treacherous, Morris on May 23 — during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Twelfth Session in New York — began spreading false and malicious rumors on the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus list serv about the president of the Quinault Indian Nation, Fawn Sharp.

As part of his delinquent role within the notoriously untrustworthy NAIPC, Morris continues to instigate resentment toward Sharp in order to undermine her participation in the World Conference, set to begin at the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference next month in Alta, Norway.

Why Morris would attack one of the most effective and capable American Indian leaders is puzzling, and makes one wonder what his real agenda is. As the protege of proven fraud Ward Churchill, Morris’ career of choreographed belligerence for personal aggrandizement is bad enough. His sowing of distrust to create dissension between indigenous governing authorities and indigenous activists is destructive.

The article Morris relies on to develop his conspiracy theory about Sharp — while noting she has worked for many state, tribal and federal government agencies — neglects to mention that her position at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency was clerical, not as an agent, as Morris is promoting. Morris knows this, and I can only assume he is conducting his covert campaign against Ms. Sharp in order to poison her reputation among international indigenous activists now gathering at UN headquarters in New York.

Ms. Sharp, by the way, has also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington State Department of Revenue, Washington State Department of Corrections, as well as the Quinault Indian Nation. Her distinguished career of public service has garnered her numerous appointments and awards for her commitment to upholding treaty rights and American Indian tribal sovereignty. She is currently president of both the Quinault Indian Nation and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

For what it’s worth, the AIM Grand Governing Council states on its website that it suspects Ward Churchill of being an FBI informant and agent provocateur. While they do not provide evidence to support their suspicion, his behavior and that of Morris fits with that job description.

 

Whether Morris is a covert agent inserted into the American Indian Movement to cause dissension, or just an opportunist using the movement to further his career, his intentional misconduct at Sycuan and on the NAIPC list serv make him an impediment to the indigenous peoples movement, and, as such, he should be denied any further platforms to spread distrust of respected indigenous governing authorities like Fawn Sharp.

 

Sharp is not on trial in the court of public opinion–Morris is. If Sharp chooses to discuss her career in the media, that is her business. Mine is making sure that troublemakers like Morris are exposed and marginalized so upstanding leaders like Sharp can do their job.

 

As I wrote on April 12, understanding their roles is essential to indigenous activists and lobbyists in working cooperatively with indigenous governing authorities to achieve indigenous self-determination. When indigenous NGOs and activists engage in fraud or moral theatrics that undermine indigenous governing authorities, the indigenous peoples movement suffers.