Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has criticised a member of a key government advisory body for accusing prominent author Bruce Pascoe of faking his Indigenous heritage.

Josephine Cashman, an Aboriginal entrepreneur and lawyer, wrote to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton accusing Professor Pascoe of "dishonesty offences", with the complaint then referred to the Australian Federal Police for assessment.

Popular author Bruce Pascoe. Credit:Justin McManus

Ms Cashman, a member of the Voice Co-Design Senior Advisory Group and former member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council, has been a vocal critic of the author, who was a joint winner of the $30,000 Indigenous Writers' Prize in NSW for his best-selling book Dark Emu.

In the letter to Mr Dutton, first reported by The Weekend Australian, Ms Cashman said a genealogy search did not bring up any Aboriginal ancestors for Professor Pascoe and accused him of inappropriate financial benefit from his status.