University of Sask. professor resigns after claims of Indigenous ancestry disputed

A prominent health professor resigned from the University of Saskatchewan effective Wednesday after her Indigenous ancestry was questioned.

Last November, the school placed Carrie Bourassa on leave and suspended her duties following a CBC report which raised questions about her assertions of Indigenous heritage.

Métis Nation—Saskatchewan said in a statement at the time that "fraudulent appropriation of Indigenous identity disregards the fundamental principles of self-determination and sovereignty that must lie at the heart of reconciliation.

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Bourassa said in her own statement that she was "shocked and dismayed at the recent attack on my identity," saying she was adopted by a Métis man later in life and identifies as Métis.

The university then launched an independent external investigation into Bourassa's heritage to be conducted by Indigenous law expert Jean Teillet.

In a statement Wednesday, Dr. Preston Smith, dean of the College of Medicine, announced Bourassa's resignation.

The independent investigation will now focus on recommendations for improvements to relevant University of Saskatchewan policies and processes, he said.

"Teillet’s recommendations will be provided to USask in the near future, and these recommendations will be shared publicly," Smith said in the release.

Last month, the university also announced a new policy was in the works to verify Indigenous membership or citizenship.

Before the new policy, self-declaration was the only way the university confirmed the Indigenous status of faculty or for Indigenous students applying for grants.