Outrage brewing after U of S and CIHR support professor who falsely claimed to be Indigenous

The University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) continue to stand by Carrie Bourassa, despite a CBC investigation that shows her claims to Indigenous ancestry are spurious.

For years, the U of S professor, who also serves as the scientific director of the Indigenous arm of the CIHR, has claimed to be Métis, Anishnaabe and Tlingit. However, investigations by Indigenous scholars and the CBC found there's no evidence of that.

After being confronted with the findings of CBC's investigation, Bourassa changed her story in an emailed response before CBC's investigation was published, claiming she is Métis because she was adopted by a Métis friend of her grandfather when she was in her early 20s. That appears to directly contradict many of her previous public claims.

In a Saskatoon StarPhoenix article published Saturday, Bourassa said she doesn't have documentation to prove her many claims to Indigeneity but she insists she's not lying. She said she hired a genealogist two years ago to help her look for evidence, and that work is ongoing.

When asked about her public assertion that her great-grandmother was Tlingit, Bourassa said she hopes to find evidence at some point. 

"I maybe will be able to find a Tlingit ancestor somewhere. Maybe I will, maybe I won't," she told the StarPhoenix.

Bourassa has continually declined CBC's requests for an interview. On Saturday, she said she is now directing all inquiries to her public relations representative.

Despite all of that, after CBC's story was published, the U of S and the CIHR issued statements of support for Bourassa.

In an email on Wednesday, after CBC's investigation was published, the CIHR said it "values the work of the Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health under Dr. Carrie Bourassa's leadership."

"On the question of Dr. Bourassa's identity, we recognize that Indigenous identity is complex, multifaceted and deeply personal and we support Indigenous self-identification."

This means the CIHR deems someone is truly Indigenous if they claim they are, relying on what is essentially an honour system.

In its statement, the U of S, located in Saskatoon, said it recognizes that "self-identification is no longer sufficient for Indigenous-specific appointments." However, the university said Bourassa wasn't hired based on her claims to Indigeneity.

"Professor Bourassa was not hired by the university because of her Indigenous status, and Indigenous ancestry was not a requirement of the role," the university's provost and vice-president, academic, Airini, said in the statement. "The quality of Professor Bourassa's scholarly work speaks for itself and has greatly benefited the health of communities across Canada," 

This baffles many Indigenous academics, such as Raven Sinclair from the University of Regina, who says the CIHR and the U of S have left Indigenous academics in an "untenable position."