Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond
Turpel-Lafond in 2011
Born	February 1963 (age 62) Canada
Other names	Mary Ellen Elizabeth Turpel-Lafond
Alma mater	Carleton University York University
Occupation	Lawyer judge academic

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, born in February 1963, is a Canadian lawyer and law professor. She has worked as a judge and as a strong supporter of children's rights. She was once seen as a leading Indigenous scholar in Canada.

She advised Indigenous leaders on legal matters. She also helped with land claims. Time magazine recognized her as a "Global Leader of Tomorrow" in 1994. Later, she was named one of the "Top 20 Canadian Leaders for the 21st Century." Turpel-Lafond was also the first Representative for Children and Youth in British Columbia. In 2018, she became a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She also led UBC's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

In 2022, questions were raised about her Indigenous background. This led to her leaving her role at UBC. Many of her awards, including honorary degrees and the Order of Canada, were later taken back or given up. In 2024, the Law Society of British Columbia found she had made some mistakes in her professional claims. They noted she does have some Indigenous ancestry through DNA. However, there was no clear link to a specific community.

Early Life and Schooling

Where Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond Was Born

There are different ideas about where Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was born.

She has said in interviews that she was born and grew up on the Norway House Cree Nation reserve in Manitoba. She also told the Senate of Canada this.

However, CBC News reported that she was likely born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This report looked at old voting records for her parents. It also found a yearbook from a Niagara Falls high school with her name. The 1996 Who's Who in Canada, which she helped edit, also lists Niagara Falls as her birthplace. Her ex-husband said he understood she was born there. A Cree chief from Norway House also said he did not remember any Turpel families living there.

Family Background and Ancestry Claims

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond's family background is also a topic of discussion.

She has stated on social media that she has "Cree, Scottish and English heritage." She said her father was Cree, and her mother was Scottish and English. Turpel-Lafond claimed her father, William Turpel, was adopted by a British couple. She said this adoption was informal, meaning there were no official papers.

CBC News reported that her father's birth certificate, baptism record, and a newspaper announcement show he was the biological child of a Canadian-British couple. A professor who studied historical records said it was "unlikely" her father was adopted as she claimed. Her cousin and aunt also said they never knew her father to be adopted or Cree. Her ex-husband said she "constructed a whole bunch of things." A Cree man from Norway House, who knew her father, also said he never heard her father was Cree.

Education and Special Awards

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond started at Carleton University in Ottawa at age 18. She studied math and science, then politics and law. She earned a bachelor's degree from Carleton in 1982. She got a law degree from Osgoode Hall in 1985. She also earned a Doctor of Law from Harvard Law School in 1997.

She received a diploma in international law from the University of Cambridge in 1989. She later claimed this diploma was like a master's degree. However, a professor specializing in academic honesty disagreed. The University of Cambridge also confirmed the diploma is different from a master's degree.

In 2014, McGill University gave her an honorary doctorate. She also gave a speech to the graduating law class.

Turpel-Lafond claimed to have an honorary doctorate from First Nations University of Canada. However, the university stated it has never given an honorary degree. They said any claim of receiving one from them is wrong.

She also claimed to be named Queen's Counsel by the Government of Saskatchewan. But the Ministry of Justice and the Law Society of Saskatchewan have no record of this.

In 2022, CBC reported that all eleven universities that gave her honorary degrees would review them. By 2023, all her honorary degrees were either taken back or she gave them up herself. For example, she returned the honorary doctorate from Vancouver Island University in 2023. The university said "false claims of Indigenous ancestry cause harm to Indigenous peoples."

Career Highlights

Working as a Professor

Before the 2022 CBC News report, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was seen as a very successful First Nations scholar. She was a tenured law professor at Dalhousie University. She also taught law at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Toronto.

From 1989 to 1996, she was an assistant professor at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie. She also spoke at other universities. She held the position of Aboriginal Scholar at the University of Saskatchewan.

Working as a Lawyer

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was a lawyer in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. She argued cases in many courts, including the highest court in Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada. She worked on land claims with the Indian Law Resource Center in Washington, DC. She also advised Indigenous leaders on legal and constitutional matters.

During talks about the Charlottetown Accord, she advised Ovide Mercredi. He was the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Turpel-Lafond and Mercredi wrote a book together called In the Rapids: Navigating the Future of First Nations.

In 2013, she said she was named Queen's Counsel by the Government of Saskatchewan. But officials in Saskatchewan have no record of this.

As of early 2024, she was listed as "non-practising" by the Law Society of British Columbia. This group regulates lawyers in that province.

In 2024, the Law Society of British Columbia said she likely has recent Indigenous ancestry. However, they also found she had misrepresented some of her qualifications. They asked her to donate $10,000 to a group supporting Indigenous justice.

Working as a Judge

In 1998, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond became a Provincial Court judge in Saskatchewan. At that time, she was believed to be the first Treaty Indian to be appointed as a Provincial Court judge in Saskatchewan.

In 2017, there was talk that she might be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Helping Children and Youth

After being a judge for eight years, Turpel-Lafond became British Columbia's first Representative for Children and Youth. In this role, she wrote 93 reports and made 200 recommendations. In 2015, she asked the government to hire at least 250 social workers for Indigenous children. This was to provide services and protect vulnerable children. She left this position in 2016.

In 2017, she sued the province of British Columbia. She claimed the government broke a verbal agreement about her pension. She said the province had been unfriendly towards her.

Time at the University of British Columbia

In 2018, Turpel-Lafond joined the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She became a professor and the first director of UBC's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. She left her director role in June 2022 but continued as a professor.

By January 2023, she was no longer working at UBC. Turpel-Lafond said she "retired." However, UBC did not confirm this. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported she was removed from her position. This was due to "compelling evidence that she isn't who she says she is."

Professional Conduct Review

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond became a member of the Law Society of British Columbia in 2018. In 2024, an investigation found she had made professional mistakes. This was related to false claims when joining the society. It also involved her testimony at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2018.

Examples of these mistakes included saying she was a lawyer in New Brunswick when she wasn't. She also claimed to have co-authored a book that was never published. She said she received an honorary degree from First Nations University of Canada, which was not true. She also stated she was a tenured professor at Dalhousie Law School for 15 years, but it was only two. The society told her to pay $10,000 to a group that supports Indigenous justice.

Questions About Her Background

Background of Claims

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has said she is "of Cree, Scottish and English heritage." She stated her father was Cree. She also claimed her father was adopted informally by a British couple.

CBC News Report Findings

In October 2022, a CBC News report questioned her claim of being a Treaty Indian. The report found big differences between official documents and her statements. CBC News found her father's birth certificate and other records showed he was the biological child of a Canadian-British couple. Her cousin and aunt said they never knew her father to be adopted or Cree. A Cree man from Norway House, who knew her father, said he knew him to be white. He also said her father's dad was a white doctor in the community.

Turpel-Lafond also stated she was born and raised on the Norway House Cree Nation reserve. However, the 2022 CBC News report said she was likely born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This report looked at voter records for her parents. It also found a yearbook from a Niagara Falls high school with her name. The 1996 Who's Who in Canada also lists Niagara Falls as her birthplace. Her ex-husband also said he understood she was born there.

Public Reactions to the Report

After the CBC News report, the University of British Columbia first supported Turpel-Lafond. A spokesperson said her Indigenous ancestry was not needed for her job. They also said her "identity is her own." Turpel-Lafond left the School of Law in 2023. The Globe and Mail reported she was removed because of evidence that her claims were not true.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip supported Turpel-Lafond. He called the accusations a "disgusting witch hunt." Other Indigenous groups and people also supported her.

The Indigenous Women's Collective criticized the university's response. They said university leaders were too quick to defend someone claiming Indigenous status. They felt there was no clear proof to support her claim.

Aly Bear, a vice chief, first supported Turpel-Lafond but later changed her mind. Cindy Blackstock, a professor and member of the Gitxsan First Nation, said her father's birth certificate was "clear and convincing evidence" that there was no Indigenous identity.

In March 2023, Turpel-Lafond said it was freeing to lose her honors. She said it allowed her to "focus on what really matters." She stated she had no emotional attachment to "titles, honors or accolades." She also said that "Trial by media is rampant, can be unbalanced and cause harm."

DNA Testing Results

In 2024, a report from the Law Society of British Columbia suggested Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has recent ancestors with Indigenous DNA. The report also noted she had "misrepresented her credentials" when she applied to join the Law Society. She was ordered to pay $10,000 to an Indigenous justice group. Her lawyer said the accusations had been hard on her. He also said she was not planning to sue CBC for their 2022 report. CBC stood by their original report. They added that some Indigenous community members still want more explanations about her ancestry.

Awards and Recognitions

Honorary Degrees Given and Taken Back

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond received 11 honorary degrees from Canadian universities. However, after the questions about her ancestry, all these degrees were either taken back by the universities or she gave them up.

Turpel-Lafond also claimed an honorary doctorate from First Nations University of Canada in 2001. But the university said it has never given an honorary degree.

Order of Canada Removal

In December 2021, Turpel-Lafond was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada. In September 2023, she was removed from the Order at her request. This happened after questions were raised about her Indigenous ancestry claims.

Other Awards and Claims

On March 9, 2023, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association took back an award they gave her in 2020. They said information showed she had "falsified her claims to Cree ancestry." They also mentioned other academic and professional claims that "erode her professional integrity." Turpel-Lafond said she was surprised they took back the award without asking for her comments first.

Turpel-Lafond claimed she co-authored a book in 2017. The book was supposedly called Indigenous Customary Adoption and Reconciliation. However, the other person she named as co-author said he did not remember writing such a book. No copies of the book have been found.

Funding for Indigenous Research

Three Canadian government agencies that fund academic research are creating new rules. These rules will make sure that money meant for Indigenous researchers goes to Indigenous people. The Turpel-Lafond case was mentioned as a reason for these new rules.

Community Award

In 2010, the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society gave Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond the Perry Shawana Award.

Personal Life

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond lives in North Saanich, British Columbia. Her second husband is George Lafond, whom she married in 1995. He is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. He was a former vice-chief and tribal chief. She has a son and three daughters, including twins.

During her career, she was often described as a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. In October 2022, Chief Kelly Wolfe of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation confirmed that "Mary-Ellen [Turpel-Lafond] is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and has been for nearly 30 years."

See also

• Pretendian