Mother and twin siblings from Canada accused of falsely claiming to be Inuit

Three women in Canada have been charged with criminal offenses after allegedly pretending to be Inuit individuals in order to receive benefits from indigenous organizations. The fraud was committed by two sisters, aged 25, who posed as adopted Inuit children. Their 59-year-old mother is also facing charges. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court in Iqaluit on October 30th. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated that the sisters, Amira and Nadya Gill, along with their mother, Karima Manji, fraudulently obtained grants and scholarships from two local organizations between October 2016 and September 2022. These funds are exclusively available to Inuit beneficiaries under the Nunavut Agreement, a settlement from 1993 that grants benefits such as grants and scholarships to members of Canada's Inuit community in the northern territory. The registration of indigenous status is overseen by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI), which represents Inuits in the territory. In a statement released in March, NTI expressed awareness of potential fraudulent enrollment after Ms. Manji claimed that the Gill sisters were her adoptive children and identified an Inuk woman as their birth mother. The case is considered unprecedented in the history of NTI's enrollment program. Following an investigation, the siblings and their mother were removed from the list of beneficiaries and the matter was referred to the RCMP. The woman identified by the Gill sisters as their birth mother, Kitty Noah, denied any relation to them before her death in July. In 2021, the Gill sisters, both graduates of Queen's University in Ontario, launched an online business selling masks featuring designs by indigenous artists. NTI President Aluki Kotierk stated in an interview with CBC that at the very least, the Gill sisters and their mother should be required to return the money they received from Inuit associations. Furthermore, the NTI plans to provide additional training for enrollment committees in the future. Mr. Kotierk characterized the alleged fraud as part of a broader pattern of non-indigenous Canadians claiming indigenous heritage, describing it as "another form of colonization." The NTI considered the case an isolated incident but announced its intention to strengthen enrollment criteria and now requires applicants to provide a copy of their long-form birth certificate. Apart from the funding received from the two local groups, the Kakivak Association and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, falsely claiming indigenous status also enabled the Gill sisters to obtain scholarships from Indspire, a Canadian indigenous charity, as well as from electricity company Hydro One and the Royal Bank of Canada. The Royal Bank of Canada stated that before 2021, scholarship applicants were able to self-identify as indigenous, but their requirements have since been updated. The BBC has reached out to Indspire and Hydro One for comment. Some Canadians have referred to those who falsely claim indigenous ancestry as "pretendians." However, Jean Teillet, a member of the Métis indigenous community, argued that this term diminishes the gravity of the issue. Teillet prefers to characterize it as fraud, as it entails intentional deception to obtain a material gain. The three women who have been charged were unavailable for comment.