Canada’s first criminal case of Indigenous identity fraud
UNFORGETTABLE SAGAS, SCOOPS AND SCANDALS FROM THE ARCHIVES |
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Dear reader, When Canadians hear the word “pretendian,” a list of prominent people accused of falsifying Indigenous identity comes to mind: novelist Joseph Boyden, filmmaker Michelle Latimer and, in a particularly high-profile case, legendary folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Queen’s University students Amira and Nadya Gill were never household names. But, in academic circles across the country, the revelation that their family had been fraudulently claiming Inuit ancestry was similarly explosive. In 2024, Toronto Life writer Sarah Treleaven chronicled how the twins’ mother, Karima Manji, crafted an elaborate lie about their identity to gain access to financial aid for her daughters. Soon after publication, Manji pleaded guilty, and the Crown dropped all charges against the twins. More than a year later, Nadya, using a new name, Jordan Archer, is speaking to media for the first time. This week, she told the Toronto Star that she knew nothing of her mother’s scam—and hopes to be judged accordingly. Below, we revisit Treleaven’s story about Canada’s first criminal case of Indigenous identity fraud. For more great long-reads from Toronto Life, subscribe to our print edition here. |
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| By Madi Haslam
Digital editor |
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Karima Manji wanted it all for her twin daughters, Amira and Nadya. And she found a way to help them get it: financial aid earmarked for Indigenous kids. The fact that they weren’t remotely Indigenous wasn’t going to stop her |
BY SARAH TRELEAVEN | FEBRUARY 14, 2024 |
At Queen’s University, Amira and Nadya Gill were well-known as ambitious students who seemed to excel at everything they did. Through their studies and extracurriculars, they won a number of awards and scholarships. And everyone on campus understood they were Indigenous, a status they wore with pride. But, while the twins put their identity front and centre, neither sister spoke in much detail about their heritage. In retrospect, the reason is obvious: they had no real Indigenous ancestry to claim. |
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