Former U of R president apologizes, steps back from Memorial University amid Indigenous claims | 24CA News
The former president on the University of Regina is stepping again from roles as president of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is apologizing for damage she could have attributable to claiming Indigenous ancestry.
She says in a public assertion Monday that she is briefly stepping away from her duties whereas the college’s board of regents considers its subsequent steps by way of an Indigenous-led roundtable.
An investigation printed final week by 24CA News raised questions on Vianne Timmons’ claims that her father’s great-great-grandmother was Mi’kmaq. Timmons says she has by no means claimed to be Mi’kmaq, simply to have Mi’kmaq heritage, however for a number of years she listed membership with an unrecognized Mi’kmaq First Nation in Nova Scotia in her skilled credentials.
She says she shared her understanding of her household’s historical past, and that questions on her intentions in doing so, in addition to whether or not she benefited, have prompted “important conversations.”
Timmons has mentioned that her father was taught to be ashamed of his Indigenous historical past, and she or he says that she shared her story within the spirit of reconciliation and respect for Indigenous Peoples.
The college says Timmons is on a six-week voluntary paid depart of absence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 13, 2023.
