Memorial University of Newfoundland's president to take leave amid controversy over Indigenous ancestry claim

The president of a Canadian university has apologized and is taking a leave of absence after allegations that she falsely claimed to be Indigenous, in the latest high-profile case of apparent cultural identity fraud.

Vianne Timmons, who is president of Memorial University of Newfoundland, said that she would be taking a six-week leave after the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) published a report last week questioning her claims that her father’s great-great-grandmother was Mi’kmaq.

“While I have shared that I am not Mi’kmaq and I do not claim an Indigenous identity, questions about my intentions in identifying my Indigenous ancestry and whether I have benefited from sharing my understanding of my family’s history have sparked important conversations on and beyond our campus,” she said in a statement on Monday.

Timmons said she “sincerely regrets any hurt or confusion” and that she “deeply apologies to those impacted”.

The incident is the latest in a string of events involving prominent figures who have been accused of overstating their claims to an Indigenous identity, prompting fresh debate about who can make such claims – and whether embellishments and falsehoods should be treated as fraud.

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