What did Vianne Timmons do? Memorial University President issues apology, placed on paid leave 

On Monday, March 13, Memorial University President Vianne Timmons apologized for saying she belonged to an indigenous heritage. Due to the controversy that her claim has caused, she has voluntarily decided to go on paid leave.

While she is absent, interim Provost and Academic Vice-President Neil Bose is in charge of assuming her responsibilities. The length of Timmons' paid leave has not yet been disclosed.

According to the New York Post, Vianne Timmons is accused of claiming she has Mi'kmaw ancestry. She reportedly discovered this lineage in 2009 after her brother submitted their genealogy. She said that after the results were released, she joined the Bras d'Or Mi'Kmaq First Nation Tribe.

As per The Star, members of the University have accused Timmons of exaggerating the details of her supposed indigenous ancestry to further her career.

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Vianne Timmons is being accused of misappropriating an indigenous identity

As per The Star, Vianne Timmons claimed that she left the tribe after a brief period, as the Canadian Federal Government did not recognize it.

She said:

“But then I looked into it on my own and I didn’t feel comfortable identifying as a member of a band that wasn’t official or as a member of a band anyway because I was not raised Mi’kmaw and so I removed it and never referred to it again."

However, CBC reported that she included her membership in the tribe on a CV from 2016. She also reportedly referred to her 'indigenous heritage' in 2018. However, in another CV submitted in 2019, there were no mentions of said heritage.

In a separate statement, Timmons said that while her genealogy indicates that she has traces of indigenous ancestry, she never intended to equate this with indigenous identity.

She said:

“While I have shared that I am not Mi’kmaq and I do not claim an Indigenous identity, questions about my intentions in identifying my Indigenous ancestry and whether I have benefited from sharing my understanding of my family’s history have sparked important conversations on and beyond our campus."

In an official statement, Memorial University's governing body said they are taking the incident seriously, as many indigenous students believe Timmons was exploiting their identity. However, the governing body noted that the President had not directly claimed an indigenous identity or experience.

The statement read:

"We have received important questions about the president's actions, and we believe we have a responsibility to Indigenous peoples and a fiduciary duty as a board to explore these questions further."

Vianne Timmons insisted that while she has referenced her genealogy, she has not directly benefitted from any past claims linked to her supposed tribal affiliation.