By Nicole Thompson Thomas King’s revelation that he has no Indigenous ancestry sent ripples through Canada’s cultural sector, while raising questions about what responsibility a person has when they claim a heritage they say they cannot prove. The 82-year-old author of “The Inconvenient Indian” revealed on Monday that he is not part Cherokee on his father’s side, as he said his mother told him as a child. The same day, the Edmonton Opera announced it would no longer stage an adaptation of his 2020 novel “Indians on Vacation,” following conversations with Indigenous community members from Treaty 6 territory. Communications director Jelena Boji\u0107 said those conversations were not in response to any single article or revelation, but began several weeks ago when community members raised concerns about the production. She didn’t… <\/p>\n
By Nicole Thompson Thomas King’s revelation that he has no Indigenous ancestry sent ripples through Canada’s cultural sector, while raising questions about what responsibility a person has when they claim a heritage they say they cannot prove. The 82-year-old author of “The Inconvenient Indian” revealed on Monday that he is not part Cherokee on his father’s side, as he said his mother told him as a child. The same day, the Edmonton Opera announced it would no longer stage an adaptation of his 2020 novel “Indians on Vacation,” following conversations with Indigenous community members from Treaty 6 territory. Communications director Jelena Boji\u0107 said those conversations were not in response to any single article or revelation, but began several weeks ago when community members raised concerns about the production. She didn’t... <\/p>\n