After Cambrian College staffer placed on leave over alleged identity fraud, expert urges employers to adopt clear, Indigenous-led identity verification policies
It’s a story that seems to keep repeating itself: a college staff member accused of falsely claiming Indigenous identity.
The most recent case occurred at Cambrian College, located in Sudbury, Ont., where staff member Bradie Grainger was placed on leave over allegations of being a ‘pretendian’.
According to the Sudbury Star, Grainger held the title of Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies and Public Safety at the college and identified themself as “Indigenous” and “a two-spirited gay person living with learning disabilities.”
Grainger has been involved in many leadership programs in the education space at various points. Under their leadership, Cambrian College received a silver medal for Indigenous Education Excellence from Colleges and Institutes Canada in 2023.
A spokesperson from the college said they were looking into the allegations and had initiated the process to verify Indigenous identity.
Robert Innes, Associate Professor and Chair of the Indigenous Studies Department at McMaster University, says cases like this highlight why Indigenous identity verification processes are necessary for employers—especially for opportunities targeted at Indigenous individuals and communities.
“If we don't do this, the chances are these will go to white people,” he says. “You basically have white people who say they're Indigenous to get access to these initiatives. And so, it is a little bit more of a hoop, but at the same time, the hoop is for an initiative targeting Indigenous people.”
Innes has been involved in discussions and the implementation of McMaster University’s Indigenous verification policy since he joined the institution. He says their goal is to create opportunities for Indigenous students and staff—and to stop those trying to cheat the system.
“There are a lot of employers who want to bring on Indigenous staff, says Innes.
“What they’re finding is that the pool is not very large. And so... there [is] a temptation to hire someone without checking."
Although there has been no data collected on how many cases like this happen, they may number in the thousands, with many going unreported—especially outside academic circles, according to a 2022 report by Jean Teillet, a Métis lawyer.
More universities—including Wilfrid Laurier, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Ottawa—have implemented Indigenous identity verification systems. Innes says these processes function similarly.
In most cases, individuals provide proof of their identity. That can be done through a status card, he explains.
“If you're a status Indian, you will have a status card. If you belong to a Métis organization that is recognized, you will have a card. Those will take care of probably 95 to 98 per cent of the people."
However, the complexity arises in cases where there is no card or proof of documentation. For example, Innes notes some Métis individuals do not belong to a recognized Métis organization or have not formally joined, meaning they have no proof of documentation.
“Those are the ones that have become a little bit more difficult. And then there are other claims—people who say they are Indigenous or Métis or claim to be Cree based on family stories—but they have no evidence to prove that” Innes says.
In such cases, he says, applicants may be asked to provide community references or evidence of a sustained connection.
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Indigenous identity verification includes a two-option process, according to the school’s website. The first, “written confirmation,” involves submitting official documentation, such as a status card or verification from a local Métis council.
The second option, “individual written declaration,” allows applicants without recognized documents to submit a statement of their lived experiences and “ongoing relationship to a legally recognized and inherent Indigenous community.”
Carleton University and McGill University have similar models but also mandate a third mandatory component, requiring all applicants to provide a letter of recommendation from elders and members of the community.
The conversation has gained even more traction following a new policy released by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC ) on Indigenous-specific hiring, in response to more high-profile Indigenous identity fraud cases.
The policy emphasizes that confirming Indigenous identity should go beyond self-identification. It urges employers to follow “inclusive design principles” to avoid “constructive discrimination” against Indigenous people by either relying on narrow criteria to determine Indigenous identity or implementing processes that unfairly exclude “legitimate claimants”.
“Employers seeking to hire Indigenous people for Indigenous-specific positions and to confirm their identity claims need to build, maintain, honour, and respect relationships with rightsholders and local Indigenous peoples and organizations that serve the community, and meaningfully engage with them to develop policies and practices on appropriate confirmation processes,” the policy states.
According to Section 24(1) of the Human Rights Code, employers can require that an applicant be Indigenous if the position serves Indigenous communities or is needed for the job, and in those cases, employers are allowed to confirm claims of Indigeneity.
Given how nuanced identity can be, Innes emphasizes that any organization or employer looking to develop an Indigenous identity verification process must do so with Indigenous leadership at the forefront.
Employers can look to Indigenous employees for guidance: “Indigenous people have a variety of opinions and views. No one thinks exactly the same. So, there's a variety of perspectives that come into the discussion—and those perspectives are informed,” he says.
At McMaster, Indigenous faculty fully developed the policy, Innes notes.
Another approach employers can take is working with local Indigenous communities, he says: “Not internal staff, but representatives from local or regional community organizations—to get feedback."
However, Innes notes it's important not to place an undue burden on those groups.
“We’re going to be putting a lot of work on communities that need to be looking at other things. So, it’s extra work for Indigenous communities.”
“I know of one university where you can go through the process, and it's probationary—it’s approved but not fully approved. To get fully approved, you have to now get a letter from your community. And to me, although the process already asks for submitting a recognized card… that's adding too much,” Innes adds.