Cosplay for Pleasure and Profit

Faux Aboriginal seems to be a thing in 2021 and here is the latest, one Carrie Bourassa, recently of the University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Institute of Health Research’s Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health.

A (one assumes genuine) Métis colleague, Caroline Tate, comments that

early on in Bourassa’s career, she only identified as Métis. But more recently, Tait said, Bourassa began claiming to also be Anishinaabe and Tlingit. Tait said she also began dressing in more stereotypically Indigenous ways, saying the TEDx Talk was a perfect example.

“Everybody cheers and claps, and it’s beautiful,” said Tait. “It is the performance that we all want from Indigenous people — this performance of being the stoic, spiritual, culturally attached person [with] which we can identify because we’ve seen them in Disney movies.”

The inflation of claims (why limit yourself to one tribe when you can pig on an assortment?) and the inability of the multitude to distinguish between Real and Disney seem to be common themes.

The statement in her defence issued by an anonymous "Team Bourassa" is a treasure trove.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Canada's Legislation Bill C-15: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act confirms and legally supports her to Self- identify as an Indigenous Person.

These laws obviously do not apply only to the indigenously indigenous, any carpetbagger or charlatan can claim their protection, else what are laws for?

As a result, many people now question the U of S’ ability to protect faculty members whose credibility is challenged and called into question by their peers.

Calling out a fraud is damaging to the whole Institution.

This poses multiple and multidimensional threats to ALL Indigenous persons globally.

Calling out a fraud is damaging to the whole Planet.

the discussion appears to be setting precedence for quantum criteria for Nationhood.

With quantum criteria (only important people know how to use these words) the Unenlightened seem to be insisting that Indigenous Peoples need to have at least a smidgen of actual Indigenous about them!

NOTE: This statement was prepared by an Indigenous collective who chose anonymity at this time, to minimize additional backlash and punitive action in the forms of lateral violence towards themselves and Dr. Bourassa. Lateral violence is a learned behaviour as a result of internalised colonialism and patriarchal methods of governing and developing a society.

Calling out a fraud is, er, well, some kind of Totally Bad Thing.