Complex sentence: In July 2015, Smith attracted national attention for claiming Cherokee ancestry without proof; however, Smith responded that her "enrollment status does not impact (her) Cherokee identity" and that she always has been and always will be Cherokee.
Split into simpler sentences: In July 2015, Smith attracted national attention for claiming Cherokee ancestry without proof. Smith said that her "enrollment status does not impact (her) Cherokee identity" and that she always has been and always will be Cherokee.