Indigenous prof says UBC’s silence on Turpel-Lafond controversy casts ‘shadow’ on institution – CBC

Jan 10, 2023

Internal university email says the university wanted to avoid doing ‘damage control’

Daniel Justice says he was met with silence by the University of British Columbia (UBC) for more than two months, despite his best efforts to raise concerns about how the institution was handling the controversy around former UBC professor Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.

On Oct. 12, a CBC investigation found that genealogical evidence indicated Turpel-Lafond was of entirely European ancestry, despite the fact she had claimed for decades to be a treaty Indian of Cree ancestry. The investigation also raised concerns about false claims she had made regarding her academic achievements.

She no longer works for the university, as of Dec. 16, but UBC won’t say why.

In a statement to other media outlets, Turpel-Lafond indicated that she retired to focus “on my health, family and spiritual journey.”

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/ubc-turpel-lafond-controversy-1.6707942