Manitoba’s political parties not doing enough to verify Indigenous identity: Métis lawyer

Manitoba’s political parties are not doing enough to make sure candidates’ claims to Indigeneity are legitimate, says Jean Teillet, a lawyer and great-grandniece of Métis Leader Louis Riel.

CBC News asked all three of Manitoba’s provincial parties with a seat in the legislature how they ensure Indigenous identity claims are legitimate.

Teillet — who who was appointed as an independent investigator by the University of Saskatchewan to figure out how to prevent Indigenous identity fraud — was critical of all three provincial parties’ responses to questions about how they ensure candidates who claim they are Indigenous are who they say they are.

Teillet’s appointment came after University of Saskatchewan professor Carrie Bourassa was suspended and eventually resigned in the wake of a CBC News investigation that found no evidence that she had Indigenous ancestry.

“These individuals are said to be ‘wannabees’ or ‘pretendians,'” Teillet wrote in a report from that investigation. “The advantage they gain is stolen, causes harm and breaches our trust.”

Provincial parties respond

All three provincial parties responded to CBC’s questions sent in February about ensuring Indigenous identity claims are legitimate.

The NDP stated: “The Manitoba NDP has a rigorous vetting process, and we are proud of our candidates. We are fair and thorough in our assessment of candidates for the NDP.”

The Liberals stated: “We do take false appropriation of Indigenous identity seriously, and it would be considered a serious ethical breach by the Manitoba Liberal Greenlight Committee.” That committee refers to a candidate screening body.

“It is not up to Manitoba Liberals to determine who is Indigenous. Identity is decided by First Nations themselves and Indigenous organizations. If concerns are raised about a potential candidate’s claims to Indigenous identity, it would be raised in an interview. That being said, our party does not ask people to identify themselves based on their culture or orientation.”

The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba’s nomination committee chair MLA Ralph Eichler at first stated “Ethnic background has been a part of the interview process.” When asked for clarification, Eichler wrote “We do not ask what ethnic background for anyone is.”

Eichler followed up with “the committee is not really interested in the ethnic aspect of our candidates. More about the person than their ethnicity as a person?” Eichler answered a subsequent follow-up question by stating the nominating committee does not independently corroborate candidates’ claims of being Indigenous.

Questions of process: Teillet

Teillet says the NDP, which claims to have a “robust” candidate vetting process, did not provide enough details for her to understand whether its vetting process is adequate with respect to Indigenous identity claims.

Teillet said the PCs and Liberals do not, despite what the Liberal party says, take the matter seriously because if they did, they would have a verification process.

“By not implementing verification, they are tacitly supporting false claims to Indigenous identity. Their failure to act means they are supporting the harms such false identification causes.”

Teillet says all political parties, government offices, universities and schools need to have a big sign on their website that says: “If you are applying and you’re claiming Indigenous identity, we will check back. We will verify.”

Teillet says this does not mean universities or governments get to determine who is Indigenous. They need to develop their verification processes to conform with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which received Royal Assent in Canada in 2021.

According to UNDRIP article 33: “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity or membership in accordance with their customs and traditions.”

Veldon Coburn, who is a professor of political science at the University of Ottawaand Anishinaabe from Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, says there is a lot of positive things in the Liberal and NDP’s responses about how they vet Indigeneity claims, although both parties could be more clear.

As for the PC Party, Coburn says its candidate vetting process seems to be “really fast and loose and almost bordering on reckless when it comes to this.”

“They really don’t care one way or the other, that someone may be misrepresenting themselves as Indigenous.” Coburn said in an interview.

Coburn says parties need to be strict about ensuring people who claim they are Indigenous are who they say they are. “The absolute bare minimum is that if you say you are Indigenous, we will verify.”

He says in his experience, it is common and “not at all offensive to any Indigenous person” to ask about their community ties.

“They’re very proud of telling us where they’re from. And I would do the same too,” he said.

Coburn says being Indigenous is not the same as identifying as Italian-Canadian or other hyphenated identities.

“Unlike many other peoples across Canada, many proudly hyphenated Canadians, Indigenous peoples are a national group rather than another cultural flavour. So we’re not just a diet, dress and dance as it might be. We do have political institutions for members of our own political communities and that makes us citizens.”

Klein 1 of 2 Indigenous MLAs in PC Caucus: Stefanson

Shortly after Kevin Klein was elected MLA for Kirkfield Park in December, Premier Heather Stefanson identified him as one of two Indigenous PC caucus MLAs along with Alan Lagimodiere who represents the constituency of Selkirk.

“The basis for stating Mr. Klein as Indigenous is because he has publicly identified himself as a Canadian Métis,” wrote a spokesperson for Premier Stefanson after CBC News sought clarification of her remark made in January.

Stefanson noted that the PC Party needs to attract more Indigenous candidates and members, and said they are working toward that.

“I think it is very important that we reflect accurately what is reflective within our communities and Indigenous communities play an incredible role in that and so we will continue to reach out to those communities,” Stefanson said in an interview with CBC News in January.

In July, a spokesperson answering on behalf of Premier Stefanson declined to say if she still considers Kevin Klein to be Indigenous after being informed that CBC News could find no evidence that he has Métis or Indigenous ancestry.

When Klein was sworn in as environment minister at the end of January, the government issued a press release with a biography that states he is a “proud Métis Canadian and continues to explore, working with Elders in Manitoba to research his connections to Indigenous community. This exploration has heightened his desire to work with Indigenous communities.”

Stefanson responded to reporters’ questions at an unrelated news conference Monday.

“We don’t get into policing people’s identity,” she said. “When you get into the vetting process for candidates, we know that the the NDP obviously allows people with criminal backgrounds as as you know. And so I would question what their what their process is in all this as well.”

Premier Heather Stefanson deflects questions about Environment Minister Kevin Klein’s claim to be Métis

Premier Heather Stefanson had previously identified Environment Minister Kevin Klein as one of two Indigenous PC Caucus members. She would not answer whether she still considers him to be Indigenous after a CBC News investigation found no evidence that Klein has Métis or Indigenous heritage.

When CBC News asked questions about the biography distributed by the government when he became cabinet minister, he responded “as I have indicated on several occasions, this is a private and personal journey.”

Klein has previously told media he is Métis from the Painted Feather Woodland Métis, a group not recognized by the Manitoba Métis Federation or the Métis Nation of Ontario.

There is a darker side to claims around Indigenous identity, Teillet says.

“Once all of us can claim to be Indigenous for whatever reason, then there will be no more Indigenous people because we will all be Indigenous. It’s another step in eradicating Indigenous people. I call it reverse assimilation,” said Teillet.

Teillet says people who illegitimately claim to be Indigenous could say, for example, ‘”I can figure out when consultation is right for Indigenous people because I’m an Indigenous person.'”

In those instances, Teillet says Indigenous people are then excluded from having a say in processes like policy-setting for important social issues.