In NFLD. the issue is much more than Timmons. Like tens of thousands others on this island, and a hundred thousand more still trying, she has simply taken advantage of a government policy, which, initially designed to enable the disenfranchised, has morphed into another money grubbing scheme. Can't blame her for trying, anymore than those in a case now before the NL courts. It's not about culture, or heritage, or any other noun pushed by the aboriginal media relations. It's simply $$$$, and business/career advantages. Every "urban indigene" like Timmons, or for that matter, half of our island's West Coast, should be ashamed of their greed. What a crock!!!! when she and others push the line "ashamed of heritage" or "discriminated against". Just a few years ago, neither they nor anyone else knew they were "indians", or cared. (S)He was just a neighbor, or a workmate, or a school chum, and who knew, or cared, of their great-great-grand-forbears?
I think it is a big deal. For a champion of the Indigenization of the university her claims about her own identity matter. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a larger discussion in the province about Indigenous identity, and whether it is appropriate for people with an Indigenous ancestor and yet no personal experience of growing up as an Indigenous person to be claiming Indigenous Identity. Justin Brake wrote a wonderful piece in DeMaisonneuve magazine a couple of years ago about this. His conclusion was - just because he could claim status didn't mean he should. I'd like to hear what Indigenous leaders and people in the province think about this. As a mother to two MUN students and a MUN student myself, I don't see how Ms. Timmons continues in the role without engaging in a courageous conversation about it, and even then, I have my doubts as to whether it would be good for the province's university to have her continue in the role.
I'm sick and tired of listening to the Qualipu first nation. Let's call it for what it is a fake Indian band. They would have no interest in it whatsoever if it weren't tax dollars paying their way. I know people who had no attachment whatsorver to an indigenous way of life or anything remotely close to it until they found they would be elgilble for tax free status. It's disgusting and even more disgusting is NTV news giving them free air time. Even the Mi'kmaq don't recognize them. Suddenly there are over 8000 of them? Give me a break. There's isn't guts in this province for calling it what it is, certaintly not in the Confederation Building.
Seems like right from day one she was moving ahead with her own agenda for the university that most people questioned and didn’t agree with. Add that to her silence during the strike, her bloated salary and perks, the Ode debacle and now this ancestry scandal, she should do us all a favour and save herself some headaches and resign. Not going to save face by sticking around.
1/ She will be entitled to 1.5 months of paid leave for every year she worked if she leaves now@$484000/year = ($40K/month) x 3 years X1.5 months per year= $181K in administrative leave plus other benefits (There may be other clauses in her contract. Not a bad go away present.
2/ This is what a spokesperson for MSU said upon her hiring when someone suggested reducing her salary:
"It would be a little bit untoward and … a little bit bad to reduce the salary now that an Indigenous woman is taking the role," said MUN students' union spokesperson Liam O'Neill. Timmons is of Mi'kmaq ancestry and is MUN's first female president. (The last comment about ancestry is from CBC reporter Terry Roberts) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mun-president-beefy-contract-1.5453984
I believe this summerizes how she came across at least to her peers at MUN, media and the broader academic community.
To your specific question- the issue of the President’s identity is a matter for everyone to consider. The Board of MUN and the VP Indigenous are wrong to suggest that we should all leave this issue to the VP Indigenous to take the lead on and tell us what to think. But as I commented in the prior post - this issue goes far beyond the specific matter of the indigenous connections of the president. The real issue is the unsuitability of the President on multiple levels.
So Vianne Timmons says she has Mikmaw ancestry… so what? The fact that it is a few hundred years removed doesn't change the fact that she has it. She didn't get her job because of it, she didn't attempt to get an Indian card because of it, she just stated that she had it. Based on how far back the ancestor was it wasn't hard to get the actual relationship entirely correct as she was just going by her family oral history which we all know can be notoriously inaccurate unless you are Miscel Joe who seems to be the arbitrator of all things indigenous on this island. Just ask Andrew Fury or any other gutless politician or media person in this province who seem to be at his beckoning call. President Timmons use of the words heritage and identity are a matter of semantics just as Mikmaw groups here in the province seem to confuse indigenous and first nations which are not the same thing. First Nations is meant to refer to tribes who signed treaties with the British Crown on a nation to nation basis. That's why you hear indigenous people out West state their nation and treaty territory that they reside on. That is also why they do land acknowledgements and why natives were exempted from paying taxes ie the nation of Canada could not tax another sovereign nation. The concept of reconciliation is mostly based on the breaking of these treaties on behalf of Canada and the signing first nations want this reconciled….. but I digress. Mr. Joe mistakingly presents himself as first nation when his band is based simple on a political inclusion under the Indian act. They had no land or even land claim so in no way were they or are they first nations but he accuses Vianne Timmons of misrepresenting her identity. It's so easy to point fingers in this overly woke world. Shame on finger pointers.
What a bunch of university students displeased because of increase cost of education. Got CBC to report a situation of her heritage, one should not deny their roots. Cost of education is up due to starting the boondoggle.
In NFLD. the issue is much more than Timmons. Like tens of thousands others on this island, and a hundred thousand more still trying, she has simply taken advantage of a government policy, which, initially designed to enable the disenfranchised, has morphed into another money grubbing scheme. Can't blame her for trying, anymore than those in a case now before the NL courts. It's not about culture, or heritage, or any other noun pushed by the aboriginal media relations. It's simply $$$$, and business/career advantages. Every "urban indigene" like Timmons, or for that matter, half of our island's West Coast, should be ashamed of their greed. What a crock!!!! when she and others push the line "ashamed of heritage" or "discriminated against". Just a few years ago, neither they nor anyone else knew they were "indians", or cared. (S)He was just a neighbor, or a workmate, or a school chum, and who knew, or cared, of their great-great-grand-forbears?
I think it is a big deal. For a champion of the Indigenization of the university her claims about her own identity matter. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a larger discussion in the province about Indigenous identity, and whether it is appropriate for people with an Indigenous ancestor and yet no personal experience of growing up as an Indigenous person to be claiming Indigenous Identity. Justin Brake wrote a wonderful piece in DeMaisonneuve magazine a couple of years ago about this. His conclusion was - just because he could claim status didn't mean he should. I'd like to hear what Indigenous leaders and people in the province think about this. As a mother to two MUN students and a MUN student myself, I don't see how Ms. Timmons continues in the role without engaging in a courageous conversation about it, and even then, I have my doubts as to whether it would be good for the province's university to have her continue in the role.
I'm sick and tired of listening to the Qualipu first nation. Let's call it for what it is a fake Indian band. They would have no interest in it whatsoever if it weren't tax dollars paying their way. I know people who had no attachment whatsorver to an indigenous way of life or anything remotely close to it until they found they would be elgilble for tax free status. It's disgusting and even more disgusting is NTV news giving them free air time. Even the Mi'kmaq don't recognize them. Suddenly there are over 8000 of them? Give me a break. There's isn't guts in this province for calling it what it is, certaintly not in the Confederation Building.
Seems like right from day one she was moving ahead with her own agenda for the university that most people questioned and didn’t agree with. Add that to her silence during the strike, her bloated salary and perks, the Ode debacle and now this ancestry scandal, she should do us all a favour and save herself some headaches and resign. Not going to save face by sticking around.
A few thoughts:
1/ She will be entitled to 1.5 months of paid leave for every year she worked if she leaves now@$484000/year = ($40K/month) x 3 years X1.5 months per year= $181K in administrative leave plus other benefits (There may be other clauses in her contract. Not a bad go away present.
2/ This is what a spokesperson for MSU said upon her hiring when someone suggested reducing her salary:
"It would be a little bit untoward and … a little bit bad to reduce the salary now that an Indigenous woman is taking the role," said MUN students' union spokesperson Liam O'Neill. Timmons is of Mi'kmaq ancestry and is MUN's first female president. (The last comment about ancestry is from CBC reporter Terry Roberts) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mun-president-beefy-contract-1.5453984
I believe this summerizes how she came across at least to her peers at MUN, media and the broader academic community.
To your specific question- the issue of the President’s identity is a matter for everyone to consider. The Board of MUN and the VP Indigenous are wrong to suggest that we should all leave this issue to the VP Indigenous to take the lead on and tell us what to think. But as I commented in the prior post - this issue goes far beyond the specific matter of the indigenous connections of the president. The real issue is the unsuitability of the President on multiple levels.
This issue is much broader and should involve anyone. The integrity of the university is in jeopardy,
So Vianne Timmons says she has Mikmaw ancestry… so what? The fact that it is a few hundred years removed doesn't change the fact that she has it. She didn't get her job because of it, she didn't attempt to get an Indian card because of it, she just stated that she had it. Based on how far back the ancestor was it wasn't hard to get the actual relationship entirely correct as she was just going by her family oral history which we all know can be notoriously inaccurate unless you are Miscel Joe who seems to be the arbitrator of all things indigenous on this island. Just ask Andrew Fury or any other gutless politician or media person in this province who seem to be at his beckoning call. President Timmons use of the words heritage and identity are a matter of semantics just as Mikmaw groups here in the province seem to confuse indigenous and first nations which are not the same thing. First Nations is meant to refer to tribes who signed treaties with the British Crown on a nation to nation basis. That's why you hear indigenous people out West state their nation and treaty territory that they reside on. That is also why they do land acknowledgements and why natives were exempted from paying taxes ie the nation of Canada could not tax another sovereign nation. The concept of reconciliation is mostly based on the breaking of these treaties on behalf of Canada and the signing first nations want this reconciled….. but I digress. Mr. Joe mistakingly presents himself as first nation when his band is based simple on a political inclusion under the Indian act. They had no land or even land claim so in no way were they or are they first nations but he accuses Vianne Timmons of misrepresenting her identity. It's so easy to point fingers in this overly woke world. Shame on finger pointers.
What a bunch of university students displeased because of increase cost of education. Got CBC to report a situation of her heritage, one should not deny their roots. Cost of education is up due to starting the boondoggle.