‘SINCERELY REGRET’

University President Apologizes After Indigenous Claims Come Under Fire

In a statement, Vianne Timmons distinguished between claiming an Indigenous identity, which she denied having done, and invoking Indigenous ancestry, which she acknowledged.

The president of a public university in eastern Canada issued an apology stating that she will take a six-week paid leave of absence amid a review of her claims of Indigenous heritage. In her statement, Memorial University president Vianne Timmons distinguished between claiming an “Indigenous identity,” which she denied having done, and an “Indigenous ancestry,” which she acknowledged. “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. “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.” Timmons previously claimed that she joined the Bras d’Or Mi’kmaq First Nation, a band not recognized by the Mi’kmaq tribal council or the Canadian federal government, around 2009, but disavowed it over discomfort at having not been raised in the tribe. A review of her professional biographies by CBC News found references to her band membership up to 2018.