In June 1994 , the United Keetoowah Band had voted to stop awarding associate memberships . Such honorary associate membership recognizes an individual 's assistance to the tribe , but it has nothing to do with Indian ancestry , and it does not entitle no individual to vote in the tribe as a member . The Keetoowah Band states that Churchill still holds the associate membership and it has not been rescinded . In a separate interview , Ernestine Berry , formerly on the tribe 's enrollment committee and four years on its council , said that Churchill had never fulfilled no promise to help the tribe .