Former B.C. Representative for Children and Youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has admitted to making misrepresentations while licensed as a lawyer but told the Law Society of BC DNA testing she undertook “most likely” shows she has Indigenous ancestry.
Turpel-Lafond was subject to a CBC investigation in fall 2022 challenging her long-standing assertions she is Indigenous. Turpel-Lafond’s academic credentials were also challenged as having misrepresentations.
According to a July 16 consent agreement between Turpel-Lafond and the society, Turpel-Lafond has admitted to making misrepresentations about her academic history “that she knew or ought to have known were false or inaccurate,” to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in October 2018.
And, in March 2018, Turpel-Lafond “submitted an application for admission to the Law Society of British Columbia that contained representations that she knew or ought to have known were false or inaccurate.”
As such, Turpel-Lafond agreed to a reprimand and an order that she pay $10,000 by Aug. 31, 2024, to an organization that supports Indigenous justice initiatives.
The agreement outlines 13 misrepresentations about her academic history, largely to do with timelines, such as stating she had been awarded an SJD from Harvard University in 1990, when in fact she obtained it in 1997.
Turpel-Lafond also erroneously asserted she co-authored a book in 2017 titled “Indigenous Customary Adoption and Reconciliation.”
Turpel-Lafond also stated she received an honourary degree from the First Nations University of Canada, when she did not.
As for the claims of Indigenous status, Turpel-Lafond told the society she underwent DNA testing, as she understood her late father to have been of Cree descent.
“The lawyer (Turpel-Lafond) recognizes that Indigeneity is to be determined by the laws, customs, practices and traditions of Indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, in August 2023, the lawyer voluntarily took a DNA test, and the DNA test results indicated that genomic markers known to be disproportionately present in Indigenous populations were present in the lawyer’s DNA sequencing results.
“The lawyer’s DNA test results were provided to a human geneticist with expertise in the area of population genomics, including genetic ancestry and admixture. The geneticist opined that “the individual whose DNA was analyzed most likely has very recent ancestors with substantial Indigenous DNA.”
As reported by CBC on Nov. 21, 2022, “a birth certificate recently obtained by CBC directly contradicts Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's public claims about her father's ancestry and the identity of his parents.”
While Turpel-Lafond took the DNA test in August she still resigned her Order of Canada in September 2023.
“Between 2003 and 2019, the lawyer had been awarded 11 honorary doctorates for advancing public policy for children, youth, and families, and Indigenous peoples. Subsequent to the media reports, all of her honorary degrees were either rescinded or voluntarily relinquished,” stated the agreement, which notes the society could only address matters related to Turpel-Lafond while she was licensed in B.C., which occurred on May 10, 2018.
Turpel-Lafond also resigned from her academic position at University of B.C. on Dec. 12, 2022 and elected to become a non-practising member of the law society as of Feb. 6, 2023.
The agreement notes Turpel-Lafond maintains her now 30-year membership with the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation (MLCN), as confirmed by Chief Kelly Wolfe, who has defended Turpel-Lafond.
“[MLCN] membership is decided by us, and not by the media, government or Indigenous peoples from outside our Nation. Determining membership is an internal matter within our inherent right to self-government, recognized and confirmed by the Crown when we entered into Treaty 6 in 1876,” stated Wolfe to the society.
Turpel-Lafond said she is remorseful after prolonged period of stress after the media reports.
