A prominent Saskatchewan academic accused of fabricating her Indigenous background says she has not lied about her identity but is trying to close “gaps” in her genealogical history.
Bourassa is the scientific director for the Canadian Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, giving her influence over millions of dollars in federal research funds . She is also the research lead of Morning Star Lodge , an Indigenous health research centre, and a member of the federal COVID-19 immunity task force.
She has claimed Métis and Anishinaabe identity with Tlingit heritage. Bourassa does not have documentation proving those ties, but said she approached genealogists about two years ago, hoping to trace her family history. That work is ongoing, but has identified family members born in “Slavic countries” as well as two family lines in the United States, she said. She declined to name the genealogists and said findings were preliminary.
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