University of Regina strips Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond of honorary degree Globalnews.ca

A major Canadian university has removed former B.C. Children and youth representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond of the Honorary Degree.

In Monday’s statement, the University of Regina said that it had revoked the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws awarded to Turpel-Lafond in 2003.

The school said the decision came following a request from an indigenous women’s collective to cancel such degrees.

In a statement in November, that group said the honor should be withdrawn because Terpel-Lafond “stole” the identity and experiences of indigenous women.

Last fall, a series of CBC reports raised a number of questions about Turpel-Lafond’s academic achievements and her claims of Indigenous ancestry.

0:45
UBC apologizes for response to article questioning Turpel-Lafond’s academic claims, Indigenous ancestry

“In making this decision the University has deliberated and considered the evidence that has emerged in the media in relation to Terpel-Lafond’s claims of Indigenous heritage/ancestry. Additionally, a number of other purported credentials and academic achievements were shown to be untrue is,” said the University of Regina.

“While the University recognizes that Turpel-Lafond has been a strong advocate for Indigenous rights and child welfare, her achievements are outweighed by the harm done to Indigenous academics, people and communities when non-Indigenous people misrepresent their Indigenous ancestry Are.”

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Indigenous women’s collective praised the University of Regina’s move, and renewed its call for other universities to follow suit.

“We commend the University of Regina for their courage and commitment to upholding the academic integrity, condemning Indigenous identity fraud, and conducting themselves in a spirit of truth and reconciliation,” it said.

Last month, the University of Regina and five other Canadian universities told the Canadian Press that they were reviewing Turpel-Lafond’s honorary degrees in the wake of the request.

Turpel-Lafond has returned the same degrees as Vancouver Island University and Royal Roads University.

Last month, the University of British Columbia confirmed that it had parted ways with Terpel-Lafond in December.

1:24
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond is no longer employed at UBC

Turpel-Lafond served as its director. ubc June at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Center, and professor at the Ellard School of Law until UBC severed ties with him.

In a statement posted to her Twitter account in October, Turpel-Lafond said she is “of Cree, Scottish and English heritage and bears the name Aki-Quay and is an active member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation,” and that That his “credentials” have been vetted at the highest levels of our country.

Turpel-Lafond has been a high-profile public figure in the areas of Indigenous human rights and constitutional law in BC and across Canada for decades.

In 2020, she wrote the report In plain sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in BC health care.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.