But some Indigenous scholars are calling on the prominent academic and former judge — she’s a professor at UBC and was on the bench in Saskatchewan — to answer the questions she raised. For decades, Turpel-Lafond claimed to be Indian of Cree descent. However, when challenged, she refused to provide evidence for her claims. On Wednesday night, hours after the CBC story was published, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said in a statement that Turpel-Lafond “has been a fierce, ethical and pioneering advocate for indigenous peoples for decades.” Her integrity “is beyond reproach,” the organization said. UBCIC also said the CBC has no business investigating Turpel-Lafond’s — or anyone else’s — claims about Indigenous identity. Kim Tallbear, an aboriginal professor in the faculty of aboriginal studies at the University of Alberta, says there is a growing number of people in Canada falsely claiming aboriginal ancestry. (University of Alberta/Jeff Allen) “Investigations into people’s origins, filled with personal photos and digging into private affairs, do not promote justice, the implementation of rights and reconciliation,” it said. “We also wonder if the sincere defense of Dr. Turpel-Lafond unfairly targeted her.” The Saskatoon Tribal Council noted that Turpel-Lafond was accepted as a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. “Our affiliation is determined by First Nations and not by the media or the Canadian government,” the council said in a statement issued Thursday. Neither organization addressed the fact that Turpel-Lafond failed to provide evidence of her parentage. Experts note that membership in a First Nations community does not make one Indigenous. Turpel-Lafond says her father was Cree and she was raised by her grandparents, Dr William Nicholson Turpel and his wife Eleanor. However, genealogical records show that William was of Irish, German and American descent, while Eleanor was born in England to British parents. Turpel-Lafond declined to elaborate 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 do not have and will not share personal confidential personal files with any media outlet,” Turpel-Lafond wrote in an email to CBC News.
It calls for answers
Kim Tallbear, an Indigenous professor in the Indigenous studies faculty at the University of Alberta, said after reviewing the CBC story, she concluded, “I don’t believe it. [Turpel-Lafond] he is a native. “The documentation seems pretty solid to support who her parents were, who her grandparents were,” he 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. Questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the indigenous legal community hard, says Jean Teillet, an indigenous rights lawyer of Métis descent. (Rob Kruk/Radio-Canada) She says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond’s claim to Cree ancestry opened doors for her career development. “It gave her entry into communities. It gave her an opportunity to trust,” he said. “He’s given her a leg up in a lot of ways. We know that. That’s obvious.” If Turpel-Lafond is offended by questions about her ancestry, maybe she shouldn’t have talked about it publicly 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 kept private and hidden, then perhaps they should not proclaim themselves as such in public.” Good says, in her view, Turpel-Lafond has some obligation to answer questions. “If she says she actually knows there is aboriginal ancestry, then for the people she claims to love and support and dedicate her life to, she should bring that up. [evidence] going forward, he should make it public.” Questions about Turpel-Lafond are hitting the indigenous legal community hard, according to Jean Teillet, an indigenous rights lawyer of Métis descent. “I think we all have a mixture of reactions,” he said. “Everything from being hurt and feeling betrayed to questioning to trying to understand better.” Teillet says she has worked with Turpel-Lafond on and off since the early 1990s and never doubted she was Indigenous. But he says the article had “disturbing” details. Teillet says she has looked closely at the issue of false claims of Indigenous identity. Last year, he 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 this investigation was completed. Its findings were not made public. Teillet says there are many people falsely claiming Indigenous identity across Canada — in the arts, academia, government and other fields — and the consequences are devastating. “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,” he said. “They hold the microphone. “My feeling is that they might be doing a great job, and I support the work they’re doing. And was it helpful? Absolutely. But did they have to do it in red face?”
