Indigenous groups rally around Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond amid calls for proof of her Cree ancestry

Indigenous organizations in Saskatchewan and British Columbia are expressing support for Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in the wake of a CBC News investigation into her claims to Indigenous ancestry.

But some Indigenous scholars are calling on the prominent academic and former judge — she is a professor at UBC and was on the bench in Saskatchewan — to answer the questions it raised.

For decades, Turpel-Lafond has claimed to be a treaty Indian of Cree descent. However, when challenged, she has refused to provide evidence of her claims.

On Wednesday evening, hours after CBC's story was published, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) said in a statement Turpel-Lafond "has been a fierce, ethical, and groundbreaking advocate for Indigenous peoples for decades."

Her integrity "is beyond reproach," the organization said. 

The UBCIC also said CBC has no business investigating Turpel-Lafond's — or anyone else's — claims to Indigenous identity.

"Investigations into the ancestry of individuals, filled with personal photos and digging into private matters, does not move justice, rights implementation, and reconciliation forward," it said. 

"We also wonder if Dr. Turpel-Lafond's outspoken advocacy has unfairly made her a target."

The Saskatoon Tribal Council pointed out that Turpel-Lafond has been accepted as a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.

"Our kinship is defined by First Nations and not by the media or Canadian government," the council said in a statement issued Thursday.

None of the organizations addressed the fact that Turpel-Lafond has failed to offer evidence of her ancestry. Experts note that membership in a First Nations community does not make one Indigenous. 

Turpel-Lafond says her father was Cree and was raised by her grandparents, Dr. William Nicholson Turpel and his wife Eleanor. However, genealogical records show that William was of Irish, German and U.S. ancestry, while Eleanor was born in England to British parents. 

Turpel-Lafond declined to explain this when asked by CBC News. 

She has also refused to show her status card or even indicate if she has one. All treaty Indians — those whose relatives are on treaty lists with the Canadian government — are full status Indians and would have such cards.