Rookie Winnipeg councillor's claim of being a 'proud Huron-Wendat woman' under scrutiny

Rookie Winnipeg city councillor SherriRollins'sclaim of being "a proudHuron-Wendatwoman" is under scrutiny because she's not a member of anymodern Indigenous community, including North America's four surviving Huron andWyandotgroups.

On Oct. 24,Rollinsbeat out six other candidates to become the first new councillor in the Winnipeg ward of Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry in 20 years.

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During the election,Rollinsreferred to herself as "a proudHuron-Wendatwoman" on her campaign website. She also saidshe'sHuron-Wendatat the top of her Twitter biography.

"I have thought about being aHuron-Wendatwoman on city council," Rollinssaidon election night, moments after she delivered her acceptance speech. "I've thought about joining Brian Bowman and giving him some bench strength."

Rollins'selection gave Winnipeg city council three members who identify as Indigenous. Both Mayor Brian Bowman and rookieCharleswood-TuxedoCoun. Kevin Klein identify asMtis.

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Rollinssays her father's side of the family has centuries of history in traditionalHuron-Wendatterritory near Windsor, Ont., and she has always considered herself First Nations and French.

She said she knows she has an Ontario-bornancestor from theMiami nation,butis not a member of Canada's only extantHuron-Wendatcommunity, theWendakeofQuebec City.

She also said she is not aware of any connection to the three remaining U.S.Wyandotcommunities, who are part of the largerHuron-Wendatnation.

Identity 'layered and impacted by colonization'

"My identity is layered and impacted by colonization," said the councillor, who identifies as British, French, First Nations and Jewish.

"In terms of attachment, I don't say I'm aHuron-WendatmemberofWendakein Quebec. That is [an] important clarification. I am not a member. I am not status.

"I think I haveHuron-Wendatancestors. I think that Ihave Miami ancestors. I think Ihave 300 years of tradition in the Windsor-Detroit area."

I'm proud of my First Nationsfamily, I'm proud of my French family. I'm proud to bea Jew.- Coun. Sherri Rollins

Rollinssaid her Miami ancestor is a woman namedMargueriteOubanKiKou.

Gail Morin, aWashington state-based genealogist who has written dozens of books aboutMtis families, saidOubanKiKouwas in all likelihood Miami and had at least six children, includingArchangeCheneditLabutte, who was born in Sandwich, Ont., in 1779 and is also one ofRollins' ancestors.

Morin said all but two ofOubanKiKou'schildren married, but none of them married other Indigenous people.

"They were all French-Canadians," said Morin.

'Aromanticized version of what they want to believe'

Morin said it's becoming more common for people to identify as Indigenous based on finding an Indigenous ancestor in their genealogy and added she is critical of the practice.

"It's a romanticized version of what they want to believe," said Morin.

"They find a Native grandmother born 300 years ago. Usually it's their eighth, ninth, or10thgreat-grandmother. That's a long time ago," Morin said.

People will never understand the pain or struggle of being Indigenous.She's never had to go through history the way that we did, inherit all of those ills.- Elder Chickadee Richard

"Then they say, 'Oh. I'm Indian,' or 'I'm a mixed blood,' or 'I'mMtis,' or 'I'm Miami,' or 'I'm Huron,' which they're none of them,because for the next 12 generations, nobody ever married anybody in those communities."

Rollinssaid the focus on her bloodline is offensive and thatall Canadians ought to learn more about their Indigenous ancestors, the way her family has.

"We have long acknowledged on my father's side we are First Nation and French," she said.

"MostWinnipeggersknow that when your grandma says, 'I came from Poland,' you just go and eat.You don't say, 'Grandma, I'd like to see your passport, your birth certificate and I'd like to verify that.'"

'They want to own our pain'

Anishinaabeelder Chickadee Richard said having some Indigenous ancestry does not make one Indigenous.

She said she hopes no politician would ever useIndigeneityfor political gain.

"People will never understand the pain or struggle of being Indigenous. They want to own our pain. She's never had to go through history the way that we did, inherit all of those ills," Richard said ofRollins.

Rollinssaid she did not rely on her background to obtain past work with the federal inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, or to help get her elected to council or the Winnipeg School Board, where she served as a trustee.

"That supposes I didn't run on community safety, that Ididn't run on economic development and social development, that I didn't run on social inclusion," she said, adding she did not base her run for council on heridentity.

"That wasn't the case of my run."

Mayor Bowman saidRollins'sbackground played no role in his decision to appoint herto executive policy committee, where she serves as chair of council's protection, community services and parks committee.

• Council rookie Sherri Rollins joins Mayor Brian Bowman's inner circle

Bowman said he did not considerIndigeneityas a qualification when he madeRollinsa committee chair or when he appointed Kleinthe chair of the Winnipeg Police Board.

"These are all community leaders. These are folks who've been elected by residents to represent them and they're Canadians," Bowman said.

Rollinssaid mostWinnipeggersunderstand identity is complex and noted she does not just identify asHuron-Wendat.

"I'm proud of my First Nationsfamily, I'm proud of my French family. I'm proud to bea Jew. I'm proud of my children who are Swampy CreeMtis, like their dad. I'm proudof my Kembata, Ethiopian daughter; I am an adoptive mom," she said.

Demanding proof of ancestry, she added, is viewing identity through a colonial, European framework.

Councillor's claim of being a 'proud Huron-Wendat woman' under scrutiny

6 years ago

Duration 2:24

Rookie Winnipeg city councillor Sherri Rollins's claim of being "a proud Huron-Wendat woman" is under scrutiny because she's not a member of any modern Indigenous community, including North America's four surviving Huron and Wyandot groups.