Yet Another 'Pretendian' Outed in Canada-Why is it Always Women Anyway?
- Thread starter bill barilko
- Start date
“There are suddenly many more grants and benefits to identifying as Indigenous,” TallBear says. “It’s a problem because non-Indigenous people are simply unqualified, for the most part, to figure out who is Indigenous and how they belong to a community or not.”
Ahhhh…..it’s a “Follow the Money” thing….
apple.news
I wasn’t sure why anyone gave two shits about this but it’s making more sense. We want to pick our own winners in the free money lottery. Ok, I get it now.
Ahhhh…..it’s a “Follow the Money” thing….
The harmful, ‘cynical and self-serving’ nature of Indigenous identity fraud — APTN News
‘There are suddenly many more grants and benefits to identifying as Indigenous’ because institutions want to contribute to reconciliation but end up causing harm, says prof on N2N.
We can also not recognize what you self identify as. So, even though you self identify as a giraffe, I see a caribou. So that is what I call you.
“It’s a problem because non-Indigenous people are simply unqualified, for the most part, to figure out who is Indigenous and how they belong to a community or not.”“There are suddenly many more grants and benefits to identifying as Indigenous,” TallBear says. “It’s a problem because non-Indigenous people are simply unqualified, for the most part, to figure out who is Indigenous and how they belong to a community or not.”
Ahhhh…..it’s a “Follow the Money” thing….
I wasn’t sure why anyone gave two shits about this but it’s making more sense. We want to pick our own winners in the free money lottery. Ok, I get it now.The harmful, ‘cynical and self-serving’ nature of Indigenous identity fraud — APTN News
‘There are suddenly many more grants and benefits to identifying as Indigenous’ because institutions want to contribute to reconciliation but end up causing harm, says prof on N2N.
Really? It takes some kind of special to go through records and find out someone's genealogy? Good grief.
If you live in Ontario?? and you think you're of aboriginal descent this where you check it out.....
omfrc.org
Duno about the other provinces.....
About Us - Ontario Metis Family Records Center
The Ontario Métis Family Records Center provides Métis status certifications for those who qualify based on their Aboriginal ancestry.
omfrc.org
Duno about the other provinces.....
Correction...........
I just found out that It saved my granddaughter some money going into nursing school.
True story. Years ago I was staying in the US for about 6 weeks and made some Native American friends while I was there. The funny part is they all thought I was Native American when they first met me. I'm not, not even a little bit. But none of that mattered. We all got along pretty well. In fact a couple of them were originally from Ontario. I was invited to sweat lodges and pow-wows and dinners.
When it was getting close to time for me to come back home they didn't want me to leave and suggested I could stay and work in the US.
When I said there was no legal way for me to do that without going back to Canada first, they suggested something that genuinely shocked the hell out me. Because my appearance even fooled them into thinking I was Native they figured it would be easy enough for me to fool whatever govt agency is in charge of IDs (I don't remember what office they said it was) and tell them I'm "Indian", that I lost my ID and give them a fake "Indian" name. Or as one of them even suggested, they could take me to a cemetery where Native people were buried, find someone at or close to my age and "borrow" their name.
There wasn't any way I was going attempt any of that, not that I objected to living there but the legality and morality of it was NOT in my comfort zone. Although to be honest, I still wonder from time to time if that wasn't some kind of "test".
When it was getting close to time for me to come back home they didn't want me to leave and suggested I could stay and work in the US.
When I said there was no legal way for me to do that without going back to Canada first, they suggested something that genuinely shocked the hell out me. Because my appearance even fooled them into thinking I was Native they figured it would be easy enough for me to fool whatever govt agency is in charge of IDs (I don't remember what office they said it was) and tell them I'm "Indian", that I lost my ID and give them a fake "Indian" name. Or as one of them even suggested, they could take me to a cemetery where Native people were buried, find someone at or close to my age and "borrow" their name.
There wasn't any way I was going attempt any of that, not that I objected to living there but the legality and morality of it was NOT in my comfort zone. Although to be honest, I still wonder from time to time if that wasn't some kind of "test".
OK Adams is out she's taken the money & run
Emily Carr University professor resigns after being accused of faking Indigenous heritage
Gina Adams was among a group of faculty hired in a cluster in 2019 as part of a "commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization
An American artist hired by Emily Carr University in 2019 as part of an initiative to hire more Indigenous faculty has resigned in the light of a damning Maclean’s magazine article that challenged her Indigenous heritage.
Article content
On Tuesday, ECU spokesperson Alexandra Korinowsky released a statement confirming that artist Gina Adams had resigned from her tenure-track adjunct professor position on Aug. 25.
“Emily Carr University takes very seriously the allegations that a member of our faculty made a false claim to Indigenous identity,” the statement read, referring to a Maclean’s article published Sept. 6 that found Adams was unable to prove her claim that her grandfather was of Ojibwe-Lakota descent.
According to the article, research found that Adam’s grandfather was a white man, while Adams claim to be a descendant of the White Earth Nation in the U.S. was rejected by the White Earth Nation.
According to the ECU statement, Adams was among a group of faculty hired in a cluster in 2019 as part of a “commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization.
“As part of deepening this commitment, in 2019 we undertook an initiative to hire more Indigenous faculty who offer extensive expertise in art, media and design. Gina Adams was hired as part of this effort,” the statement read.
“This was a rigorous process that involved interviews with ECU’s hiring committee, which included Indigenous faculty and staff, a public presentation, and one-on-one meetings with Indigenous students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty members. While this is an evolving area, ECU is confident this hiring process followed best practice at the time.”
In light of Adams’ resignation, the university says it will undertake an Indigenous-led external review to “make recommendations for how we assess identity in a culturally-appropriate way when hiring for positions designated for Indigenous candidates.
“Emily Carr University will continue making the necessary changes to ensure our hiring practices align with our deep commitment to reconciliation — and ensure that ECU continues to be an inclusive environment where Indigenous students, staff and faculty can thrive.”
The Maclean’s magazine article’s author Michelle Cyca challenged the ECU statement in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday.
According to Adams’ website, she is a contemporary hybrid artist of Aboriginal descent with a specialty in quilting. These quilts are sold at a variety of galleries.
Emily Carr University professor resigns after being accused of faking Indigenous heritage
Gina Adams was among a group of faculty hired in a cluster in 2019 as part of a "commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization
An American artist hired by Emily Carr University in 2019 as part of an initiative to hire more Indigenous faculty has resigned in the light of a damning Maclean’s magazine article that challenged her Indigenous heritage.
Article content
On Tuesday, ECU spokesperson Alexandra Korinowsky released a statement confirming that artist Gina Adams had resigned from her tenure-track adjunct professor position on Aug. 25.
“Emily Carr University takes very seriously the allegations that a member of our faculty made a false claim to Indigenous identity,” the statement read, referring to a Maclean’s article published Sept. 6 that found Adams was unable to prove her claim that her grandfather was of Ojibwe-Lakota descent.
According to the article, research found that Adam’s grandfather was a white man, while Adams claim to be a descendant of the White Earth Nation in the U.S. was rejected by the White Earth Nation.
According to the ECU statement, Adams was among a group of faculty hired in a cluster in 2019 as part of a “commitment to reconciliation, Indigenization and decolonization.
“As part of deepening this commitment, in 2019 we undertook an initiative to hire more Indigenous faculty who offer extensive expertise in art, media and design. Gina Adams was hired as part of this effort,” the statement read.
“This was a rigorous process that involved interviews with ECU’s hiring committee, which included Indigenous faculty and staff, a public presentation, and one-on-one meetings with Indigenous students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty members. While this is an evolving area, ECU is confident this hiring process followed best practice at the time.”
In light of Adams’ resignation, the university says it will undertake an Indigenous-led external review to “make recommendations for how we assess identity in a culturally-appropriate way when hiring for positions designated for Indigenous candidates.
“Emily Carr University will continue making the necessary changes to ensure our hiring practices align with our deep commitment to reconciliation — and ensure that ECU continues to be an inclusive environment where Indigenous students, staff and faculty can thrive.”
The Maclean’s magazine article’s author Michelle Cyca challenged the ECU statement in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday.
According to Adams’ website, she is a contemporary hybrid artist of Aboriginal descent with a specialty in quilting. These quilts are sold at a variety of galleries.
Read it & weep whities!
Indigenous groups rally around Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond amid calls for proof of her Cree ancestry
Prominent scholar has refused to provide evidence of claims
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond ancestry questions prompt anger, but also support
4 hours agoDuration1:56
Words of disbelief, anger and also support are pouring in for well-known scholar Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond after her claims of Cree ancestry were called into question by a CBC News investigation. The Chief of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation says Turpel-Lafond is indeed a member of the First Nation, while others continue to call on her to provide proof.
Indigenous organizations in Saskatchewan and British Columbia are expressing support for Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in the wake of a CBC News investigation into her claims to Indigenous ancestry.
But some Indigenous scholars are calling on the prominent academic and former judge — she is a professor at UBC and was on the bench in Saskatchewan — to answer the questions it raised.
For decades, Turpel-Lafond has claimed to be a treaty Indian of Cree descent. However, when challenged, she has refused to provide evidence of her claims.
On Wednesday evening, hours after CBC's story was published, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said in a statement Turpel-Lafond "has been a fierce, ethical, and groundbreaking advocate for Indigenous peoples for decades."
Her integrity "is beyond reproach," the organization said.
The UBCIC also said CBC has no business investigating Turpel-Lafond's — or anyone else's — claims to Indigenous identity.
A CBC News investigation about scholar and jurist Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's claims of Indigenous ancestry has prompted both expressions of support and calls for her to provide evidence. (CBC)
"Investigations into the ancestry of individuals, filled with personal photos and digging into private matters, does not move justice, rights implementation, and reconciliation forward," it said.
"We also wonder if Dr. Turpel-Lafond's outspoken advocacy has unfairly made her a target."
The Saskatoon Tribal Council pointed out that Turpel-Lafond has been accepted as a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
"Our kinship is defined by First Nations and not by the media or Canadian government," the council said in a statement issued Thursday.
None of the organizations addressed the fact that Turpel-Lafond has failed to offer evidence of her ancestry. Experts note that membership in a First Nations community does not make one Indigenous.
Turpel-Lafond says her father was Cree and was raised by her grandparents, Dr. William Nicholson Turpel and his wife Eleanor. However, genealogical records show that William was of Irish, German and U.S. ancestry, while Eleanor was born in England to British parents.
Turpel-Lafond declined to explain this when asked by CBC News.
She has also refused to show her status card or even indicate if she has one. All treaty Indians — those whose relatives are on treaty lists with the Canadian government — are full status Indians and would have such cards.
"I have not and will not be sharing any private confidential personal records with any media outlet," Turpel-Lafond wrote in an email to CBC News.
Calls for answers
Kim Tallbear, an Indigenous professor in the faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta, said, after reviewing CBC's story, that she concluded: "I don't believe that [Turpel-Lafond] is Indigenous."The documentation seems pretty solid to support who her parents were, who her grandparents were," she said. "The evidence is overwhelming."
Tallbear says there is a growing problem in Canada of non-Indigenous people pretending to be Indigenous to take advantage of certain benefits.
She says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond's claim to Cree ancestry opened doors for her career development.
"This has given her entrée to communities. It's given her entrée to trust," she said. "It has given her a leg up in many ways. We know that. That's obvious."
Kim Tallbear, an Indigenous professor in the faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta, says there is a growing number of people in Canada falsely claiming Indigenous ancestry. (University of Alberta/Jeff Allen)
If Turpel-Lafond is offended by queries about her ancestry, maybe she shouldn't have publicly talked about it for years, says Michelle Good, an Indigenous author (Five Little Indians) and retired lawyer from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
"If a person feels that their identity is something that should be privately held and secreted away, then perhaps they shouldn't be proclaiming themselves as such publicly."
Good says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond has some obligation to answer questions.
"If she says that she in fact knows that there is Indigenous ancestry, then for the people that she claims to love and support and to dedicate her life to, she should bring that [evidence] forward, she should bring that publicly out."
The questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the Indigenous legal community hard, according to Jean Teillet, an Indigenous rights lawyer of Métis ancestry.
"I think we all have a mix of reactions," she said. "Everything from hurt and feeling betrayed to questioning to trying to understand better."
Questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the Indigenous legal community hard, says Jean Teillet, an Indigenous rights lawyer of Métis ancestry. (Rob Kruk/Radio-Canada)
Teillet says she has worked with Turpel-Lafond from time to time since the early 1990s and never doubted that she was Indigenous.
But she says, the article had "troubling" details.
Teillet says she has closely examined the issue of false claims of Indigenous identity. Last year, she was retained by the University of Saskatchewan to investigate Carrie Bourassa, a professor who had claimed to be Métis, Anishnabe and Tlingit. Bourassa resigned from the university after that investigation was completed. Its conclusions were not made public.
- Scholar and former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says she's Cree, but historical records raise doubts
- University aims to root out false claims of Indigenous ancestry
"For every time they publish an article, for every time they get an appointment as an Indigenous judge, they're taking that opportunity from an Indigenous person," she said. "They're hogging the microphone.
"My feeling is that they may do brilliant work and I support the work they do. And has it been helpful? Absolutely. But did they have to do it in red face?"
Read it & weep whities!
Indigenous groups rally around Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond amid calls for proof of her Cree ancestry
Prominent scholar has refused to provide evidence of claims
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond ancestry questions prompt anger, but also support
4 hours ago
Duration1:56
Words of disbelief, anger and also support are pouring in for well-known scholar Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond after her claims of Cree ancestry were called into question by a CBC News investigation. The Chief of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation says Turpel-Lafond is indeed a member of the First Nation, while others continue to call on her to provide proof.
Indigenous organizations in Saskatchewan and British Columbia are expressing support for Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in the wake of a CBC News investigation into her claims to Indigenous ancestry.
But some Indigenous scholars are calling on the prominent academic and former judge — she is a professor at UBC and was on the bench in Saskatchewan — to answer the questions it raised.
For decades, Turpel-Lafond has claimed to be a treaty Indian of Cree descent. However, when challenged, she has refused to provide evidence of her claims.
On Wednesday evening, hours after CBC's story was published, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said in a statement Turpel-Lafond "has been a fierce, ethical, and groundbreaking advocate for Indigenous peoples for decades."
Her integrity "is beyond reproach," the organization said.
The UBCIC also said CBC has no business investigating Turpel-Lafond's — or anyone else's — claims to Indigenous identity.
A CBC News investigation about scholar and jurist Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's claims of Indigenous ancestry has prompted both expressions of support and calls for her to provide evidence. (CBC)
"Investigations into the ancestry of individuals, filled with personal photos and digging into private matters, does not move justice, rights implementation, and reconciliation forward," it said.
"We also wonder if Dr. Turpel-Lafond's outspoken advocacy has unfairly made her a target."
The Saskatoon Tribal Council pointed out that Turpel-Lafond has been accepted as a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
"Our kinship is defined by First Nations and not by the media or Canadian government," the council said in a statement issued Thursday.
None of the organizations addressed the fact that Turpel-Lafond has failed to offer evidence of her ancestry. Experts note that membership in a First Nations community does not make one Indigenous.
Turpel-Lafond says her father was Cree and was raised by her grandparents, Dr. William Nicholson Turpel and his wife Eleanor. However, genealogical records show that William was of Irish, German and U.S. ancestry, while Eleanor was born in England to British parents.
Turpel-Lafond declined to explain this when asked by CBC News.
She has also refused to show her status card or even indicate if she has one. All treaty Indians — those whose relatives are on treaty lists with the Canadian government — are full status Indians and would have such cards.
"I have not and will not be sharing any private confidential personal records with any media outlet," Turpel-Lafond wrote in an email to CBC News.
Calls for answers
Kim Tallbear, an Indigenous professor in the faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta, said, after reviewing CBC's story, that she concluded: "I don't believe that [Turpel-Lafond] is Indigenous.
"The documentation seems pretty solid to support who her parents were, who her grandparents were," she said. "The evidence is overwhelming."
Tallbear says there is a growing problem in Canada of non-Indigenous people pretending to be Indigenous to take advantage of certain benefits.
She says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond's claim to Cree ancestry opened doors for her career development.
"This has given her entrée to communities. It's given her entrée to trust," she said. "It has given her a leg up in many ways. We know that. That's obvious."
Kim Tallbear, an Indigenous professor in the faculty of Native studies at the University of Alberta, says there is a growing number of people in Canada falsely claiming Indigenous ancestry. (University of Alberta/Jeff Allen)
If Turpel-Lafond is offended by queries about her ancestry, maybe she shouldn't have publicly talked about it for years, says Michelle Good, an Indigenous author (Five Little Indians) and retired lawyer from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
"If a person feels that their identity is something that should be privately held and secreted away, then perhaps they shouldn't be proclaiming themselves as such publicly."
Good says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond has some obligation to answer questions.
"If she says that she in fact knows that there is Indigenous ancestry, then for the people that she claims to love and support and to dedicate her life to, she should bring that [evidence] forward, she should bring that publicly out."
The questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the Indigenous legal community hard, according to Jean Teillet, an Indigenous rights lawyer of Métis ancestry.
"I think we all have a mix of reactions," she said. "Everything from hurt and feeling betrayed to questioning to trying to understand better."
Questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the Indigenous legal community hard, says Jean Teillet, an Indigenous rights lawyer of Métis ancestry. (Rob Kruk/Radio-Canada)
Teillet says she has worked with Turpel-Lafond from time to time since the early 1990s and never doubted that she was Indigenous.
But she says, the article had "troubling" details.
Teillet says she has closely examined the issue of false claims of Indigenous identity. Last year, she was retained by the University of Saskatchewan to investigate Carrie Bourassa, a professor who had claimed to be Métis, Anishnabe and Tlingit. Bourassa resigned from the university after that investigation was completed. Its conclusions were not made public.
Teillet says there are many people falsely claiming Indigenous identity across Canada — in the arts, academia, government and other sectors — and that the consequences are devastating.
- Scholar and former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says she's Cree, but historical records raise doubts
- University aims to root out false claims of Indigenous ancestry
"For every time they publish an article, for every time they get an appointment as an Indigenous judge, they're taking that opportunity from an Indigenous person," she said. "They're hogging the microphone.
"My feeling is that they may do brilliant work and I support the work they do. And has it been helpful? Absolutely. But did they have to do it in red face?"
Oh well, it's CBC, nothing but lies anyway, right?
Any client may self‑identify as being an Aboriginal person, regardless of legal status under the Indian Act. No proof of ancestry or belonging to a band is necessary. Clients must be given an opportunity to provide information related to their Aboriginal cultural identity, but are not obligated to answer.
https://www.legalaid.on.ca › aborigi...
https://www.legalaid.on.ca › aborigi...
