The University of British Columbia says it deeply regrets its handling of the case of retired judge and former law professor Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who was the subject of a CBC investigation regarding her claims of Indigenous heritage.
A statement signed by UBC interim president Deborah Buzzard said the university is reviewing its processes regarding Indigenous status and “truth in recruitment”.
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond is no longer employed at UBC
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UBC’s statement comes the same day the University of Vancouver Island says it has accepted the return of an honorary doctorate from Turpel-Lafond after she told him it was reviewing her eligibility for the honour.
The university said in a statement that Turpel-Lafond returned her 2013 Doctorate of Laws after she was told that the university had initiated “a process” in response to requests from the university community and a group called the Indigenous Women’s Collective. .
It said it would not comment further on the Turpel-Lafond case, but it broadly condemned Indigenous identity fraud.
Turpel-Lafond has not responded to previous requests for comment, though she told the CBC that she didn’t question her father’s biological parentage, whom she called Cree, when she was growing up.
UBC, where Turpel-Lafond was a permanent law professor and served as director of the Indian Residential School’s Center for History and Dialogue, announced this month that she was no longer with the university as of December 16.
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“While we have sought advice, we want to emphasize that we take full responsibility for UBC’s actions and inactions in this matter,” said the UBC statement released Tuesday, co-signed by Provost and Academic Vice President Gage Averill. Let’s take it.”
Deborah Sauser, president of the University of Vancouver Island, said that “false claims of Indigenous ancestry harm Indigenous peoples.”
“That is why VIU’s future policy on Indigenous identity will honor the contributions of Indigenous students, faculty, staff and community leaders and include safeguards to affirm Indigenous identity.”
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