Accusations of “Race-Shifting” Prompt Canadian Cabinet Minister to Resign

Randy Boissonnault, who resigned as employment minister, had long described himself as the great-grandson of a Cree woman, but now acknowledges he was wrong about his family’s ancestry.

Randy Boissonnault, who was Canada’s employment minister until Wednesday, once sat with his Liberal Party’s Indigenous caucus. In Parliament, he has said that he was adopted into a family with Cree heritage. And in interviews, he described himself as the great-grandson of a “full-blooded Cree woman.”

But following reports about his family’s past in The National Post, a Toronto newspaper, Mr. Boissonnault found himself facing accusations from political opponents of “race shifting” or being a “pretendian” — falsely claiming to be Indigenous.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office issued a brief statement announcing that Mr. Boissonnault, the sole cabinet minister from Alberta, “will step away from cabinet” and “focus on clearing the allegations made against him.”

The resignation is another blow to an already embattled Mr. Trudeau, who has made reconciliation with Indigenous people and respect for Indigenous cultures top priorities of his government.

The episode is only the latest high-profile example of what Indigenous people see as brazen attempts to appropriate their culture, in a country whose history includes extensive mistreatment of Indigenous people and attempts to eradicate their cultures.

Mr. Boissonnault has never publicly identified as Indigenous himself, but has said that he was adopted into a family with Cree heritage, although one that was not registered as Indigenous with the federal government.

At a news conference last week, held in response to a series of articles in The National Post looking into his ancestry, Mr. Boissonnault announced that contrary to what he had believed, his adoptive family was not Cree but Métis, people of European and Indigenous ancestry who are one of the three Indigenous groups recognized by Canada.

That set off a torrent of calls for his resignation from opposition politicians, as well as Métis and other Indigenous leaders. False or inaccurate claims of Indigenous status or heritage have long been a source of frustration and anger for Indigenous people.

Mr. Boissonnault’s redefining of his Indigenous heritage follows a series of cases in which claims of Indigenous status by Canadian academics, writers and musicians have been proven to be either false or exaggerated.

Blake Desjarlais, a member of Parliament from Alberta who is Métis, told reporters that Mr. Boissonnault, his political opponent, fits that pattern.

“This race-shifting that’s taking place is very concerning,” said Mr. Desjarlais, a member of the New Democratic Party. “This is a clear signal to pretendians across the country: If you pretend to be Indigenous for purpose of accessing Indigenous benefits, funding or prestige, you will be found out.”

Mr. Boissonnault said that he sat with the Liberal Indigenous caucus as an “ally,” although the party documents characterize it a group of members of Indigenous groups.

Jaime Battiste, the chairman of the Liberal Indigenous caucus, said that Mr. Boissonnault has never identified himself as an Indigenous during the five years they have worked together.

“He’s never claimed to be Indigenous to me,” Mr. Battiste who is Mi’kmaq, told CBC News. “He said he had family members who are Indigenous.”

In its coverage, The National Post reported that a medical supply company Mr. Boissonnault once co-owned had twice identified itself as Indigenous-owned in unsuccessful government contract bids.

Mr. Boissonnault said that his former business partner described the company as Indigneous-owned without his knowledge or consent.

Canada is aiming to award about 5 percent of government contracts to Indigenous companies, and there have been questions recently about abuse of that program.

Mr. Boissonnault was first elected to Parliament in the 2015 vote that brought the Liberals under Mr. Trudeau to power. Although he frequently made mention of his adoptive family’s heritage, it attracted little notice until recently.

During a parliamentary committee hearing in 2018, he said his mother was one-quarter Cree. At least twice, he spoke Cree in Parliament, and he has said that he was given a Cree name.

The National Post began looking into Mr. Boissonnault’s family heritage after the Conservative opposition initiated hearings into his medical supply business, which he set up after being defeated in the 2019 election.

Mr. Boissonnault was returned to Parliament in 2021, and the Conservatives have alleged that Mr. Boissonnault remained active in his medical supply business even after joining the cabinet, which would be contrary to conflict-of-interest rules. Those hearings are continuing.

During his news conference in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday, Mr. Boissonnault, who will remain a member of Parliament, apologized for incorrectly describing his heritage, adding that he was “learning about my family in real time.”

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