Former judge with disputed Cree heritage “most likely” has Indigenous DNA: report

The Canadian Press  25/07/2024  A DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree “most likely” has Indigenous heritage, a report from the Law Society of British Columbia revealed Thursday. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond previously served as B.C.’s representative for children and youth, and was well known as a lawyer on Indigenous rights. Her Indigenous identity was the subject of a 2022 CBC News investigation, which called into question her heritage, including claims her father was Cree. It also found Turpel-Laford misrepresented her credentials. The law society confirmed Thursday she did misrepresent certain credentials, and ordered her to pay $10,000 to a non-profit organization that supports Indigenous justice. But as part of its investigation, the law society says an independent geneticist found…

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