(MENAFN) The academic community has been rocked by the revelation that a tenured associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley, Elizabeth Hoover, has falsely claimed to be of indigenous descent for her entire life. In a letter posted on her personal website on Monday, Hoover admitted that she is "a white person who has incorrectly identified as Native," explaining that she had been told by her family that she was descended from Mohawk and Mi'kmaq Indians, but did not seek out any documented connection to these communities.

Since joining the faculty in 2000, Hoover continued to pretend she was Native American, gaining access to funding and academic opportunities that would have been off-limits to a white professor. In her letter, she acknowledged that in a liberal university like Berkeley, her false identity allowed her into "programs or funding opportunities that were identity-related," and granted her "academic fellowships, opportunities, and material benefits" that she would not have received as a white woman.

Hoover's deception has caused outrage among some academics, who now want her to be fired. In her apology letter, the professor acknowledged the harm that she has caused, stating that her lies "hurt Native people who have been my friends, colleagues, students, and family, both directly through fractured trust and through activating historical harms." She also apologized for perpetuating the myth of "race-changing," which she said is a form of "settler colonialism."

The controversy has sparked a wider debate about the issue of race and identity in academia, with some arguing that it is not uncommon for scholars to claim minority status to gain a competitive edge. However, critics argue that this undermines the diversity and equity efforts that universities are trying to promote, and that it is a form of fraud that should be punished. The fallout from this scandal is likely to continue for some time, as the academic community grapples with the complex issues of race, identity, and privilege.

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