Posted: Jan 19, 2021 4:00 AM PT | Last Updated: February 8
Tamara Bell, shown at a news conference on Monday, says the federal government must enact new rules to authenticate Indigenous identity. (Mike Zimmer/CBC )
A Haida filmmaker is pushing for new legislation in Canada to penalize people who wrongly claim to be indigenous and access grants, awards and jobs intended for Indigenous people.
Tamara Bell said she wants those who misrepresent their identity to face fines and even prison time. In her press conference, Bell didn t distinguish between those who may intentionally misrepresent their identity and those who do it in error.
Bell s move comes on the heels of Kitigan Zibi community members questioning filmmaker Michelle Latimer s claims to be of Algonquin, Métis and French heritage, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (Maniwaki), Quebec.