A Newfoundland university president is taking six weeks of voluntary paid leave after a probe found no proof that she has indigenous ancestry despite her claiming First Nation heritage.
Vianne Timmons came under scrutiny after an investigation published by CBC News raised questions about her statements that she never claimed Mi’kmaw identity, only the Canadian tribe’s ancestry.
‘I am not Mi’kmaq. I am not Indigenous,’ Timmons said in a statement last week. ‘I did not grow up in an Indigenous community. Nor was I raised to learn the ways of Indigenous culture. My family, through my father, is of Mi’kmaw ancestry and heritage. It is a distinction I have been careful to make because it is an important distinction.’
Timmons has also claimed she has never benefited from her Indigenous ancestry, which she has said is different from Indigenous identity.
But the CBC News investigation found that the membership was listed on her resumé, last updated in 2016, and that it was also referenced in her biographies for her professional dealings, including a national advisory board.
Memorial University President Vianne Timmons is taking voluntary paid leave after a probe found no proof of indigenous ancestry despite her claiming First Nation heritage
Vianne Timmons posted this photo of herself and Prince Charles to Facebook in 2012. She came under fire after a CBC News investigation raised questions about her statements that she never claimed Mi’kmaw identity, only the Canadian tribe’s ancestry
A census from 1871 shows that Timmon’s father’s great-great-grandmother Marie (Marey) Benoit’s origin as being French, on line 20 (Libraries and Archives Canada)
Timmons, who has been president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian province, since 2020, released a statement last week, apologizing for any pain she caused with her claims.
‘I have been reflecting on this feedback from the Indigenous community, and I sincerely regret any hurt or confusion sharing my story may have caused. That was never my intention and I deeply apologize to those I have impacted,’ Timmons said.
The tribe – Bras d’Or Mi’kmaq First Nation – is a band traditionally occupying the Canada provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, as well as parts of the U.S. in Maine and Massachusetts.
The band is neither recognized by the Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq or by the federal government.
In an interview with CBC News last month, Timmons said she made it clear that she never claimed Mi’kmaw identity and that she had not been benefitting from it.
Timmons explained that she became a member of the Bras d’Or Mi’kmaq First Nation in Cape Breton after her brother researched their family’s genealogy around 2009.
‘But then I looked into it on my own and I didn’t feel comfortable identifying as a member of a band that wasn’t official or as a member of a band anyway because I was not raised Mi’kmaw and so I removed it and never referred to it again,’ Timmons said.
In 2017, Timmons was named an officer of the Order of Canada for her lifetime contributions to inclusive education, family literacy, Indigenous post-secondary education, and women’s leadership (Rideau Hall)
An Eagle Staff – a sacred symbol traditionally presented to a warrior or leader for their service to the community – was presented to Timmons in 2017
Stephen White’s interpretation of the family tree shows there is Mi’kmaw ancestry but it appears further removed than she described (CBC News Graphics)
Timmons said that her father told her when she was in her 30s that she had a Mi’kmaw great-great-great-grandmother but that he was ashamed of it.
However, CBC News could not find any Mi’kmaw relative closer than 10 generations removed, the investigation revealed, which was reviewed by genealogist Stephen White.
Timmons claimed she has a census document to prove her family’s story, but when asked for the documents, she replied that it was likely in her mother’s home in Nova Scotia.
The CBC investigation found that the tribe membership was listed in multiple professional biographies between 2011 and 2018.
In 2019, Timmons accepted an award from Indspire, a national Indigenous-led charity celebrating Indigenous education and achievement.
The Indspire website says she played a key role in the recovery of First Nations University in Regina after a financial crisis in 2010.
In 2019, Timmons accepted an award from Indspire, a national Indigenous-led charity celebrating Indigenous education and achievement
Amid the recent scrutiny, Timmons said she asked that she be allowed to take a temporary step back from her duties as president
However, just hours after the CBC News investigation was published, Memorial University published a copy of her CV – which did not list membership with Bras d’Or Mi’kmaq First Nation.
Amid the recent scrutiny, Timmons said she asked that she be allowed to take a temporary step back from her duties as president.
‘Any action I have taken in sharing my story or promoting Indigenization in my professional roles was always undertaken in a spirit of reconciliation, curiosity and continued learning and respect for Indigenous peoples,’ Timmons said.
‘While this personal process started many years ago, I recognize these actions may be hurtful or cause harm.’
Neil Bose, interim provost and academic vice-president, will take on the role of acting president and vice-chancellor.
‘We must always be willing to learn and commit to doing better, and I appreciate all that you have had to say in this last week,’ Timmons said.
‘As a proud member of the Memorial community, I remain faithfully and fully committed to continuing to advance our collective efforts to indigenize the university and look forward to the feedback from these important discussions.’
