A woman from the first nations is being sued for calling four “pretending” women, with the plaintiffs looking for more than $ 500,000 in damages and retractions to the very publicized comments about them.
Michelle Christine Cameron, also known as Crystal Semaganis, who directs the Ghost Warrior society, says he conducts research to safeguard the community spaces designated for indigenous peoples and says that those who intend to be indigenous represent real damage to communities and nations.
In the lawsuit filed in July before the Supreme Court of Yukon, Amanda Buffalo, Krista Reid, Amaris Manderschied and his mother, Louise Darroch, say that Semaganis conducted an investigation into his background and concluded that they are of Ukrainian inheritance, not indigenous, and then in a social media campaign “without means”.
Tina Yang, a Goldblatt Partners lawyer, said in an email that the plaintiffs believe that the investigation carried out by Semaganis is “insufficient and” inadequate. “
Court’s documents say she is accused of calling them “‘Grifters’, liars and racists who exploit their falsely claimed indigenous heritage to obtain personal profits.”
The four women, two of whom occupy positions that work with or for indigenous communities, collectively seek more than $ 500,000 in damages, as well as public retractions to the statements made by Semaganis.
The women, through their lawyer, refused to comment beyond what was contained in the claim statement.
The demand against Semaganis says that as of the end of October 2024, Semaganis has been involved in a “relentless libelous campaign against the plaintiffs”, and have suffered “significant damage to personal and professional reputation, serious psychological damage, loss of income, loss of academic opportunities and losses of commercial opportunities.”
The defendant alleges that the plaintiffs are of Ukrainian descent
The demand says that Darroch was adopted by a non -indigenous couple, and was later informed in the life that has indigenous inheritance.
While looking at the family, something that Semaganis said he only does after receiving about 10 complaints from the public, the judicial document says that Semaganis contacted Buffalo to obtain information about his inheritance. Later, Darroch contacted Semaganis and explained that he had been adopted and told him that he had indigenous ancestry.
Semaganis, in turn, presented an investigation that concluded that it was of Ukrainian ancestry and began to transmit the
Information on their social media platforms: the courier of the four women says it is a defamatory and wants to eliminate.
The Canadian press has not seen or verified any of its investigation. None of the claims in demand has been tested in
court.
Semaganis said that he has not yet been formally attended, but has received letters from the woman’s lawyer to whom he has not responded.
Semaganis, who did not want to comment on the details of the lawsuit, said it is not the first time he faces legal actions.
As a survivor of scoop, Semaganis said that these demands do not dissuade him to do what he does.
“If people with a disastrous intention constantly bombard us and with a constant inauthenticity that comes with ‘pretending’, that puts our communities at risk,” he said.
“Frankly, they have come out with their own for decades, and have felt quite comfortable with their spaces, resources and stolen platforms.”
The scoop of the sixties refers to a period between 1951 and 1991, where indigenous children were systematically eliminated from their homes and placed under non -indigenous attention, resulting in a loss of culture and community connections.
Exploitation of Sexive Scoop’s SCOOP, Semaganis says
Falsely claiming indigenous identity “makes it more difficult for us to return because there are now many doubts in the communities,” he said, referring to a series of high profile cases that have seen people like Buffy Sainte-Marie and Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, the created indigenous identities.
These cases caused waves through indigenous communities that grow distrust the claims.
Semaganis said that the so -called “pretends” use the trope of the scoop of the sixties to mask their lack of authenticity and use it as a defense when asked about what nation they come, and who claims them.
While Semaganis trusts their skills to investigate people’s genealogy, he called her “unattered territory” where she and the collective with whom she works are learning as they advance.
“We realize that we are not perfect, but we are establishing a precedent. And we are doing a job that our people need vital importance,” he said.
He also said that if a new information is presented that contradicts his research, he recognizes his mistake and informs the community of the new developments.
The federal government uses a standard of two generations to issue Indian state cards. The Ghost Warrior society has a broader standard to claim an indigenous identity that includes an indigenous ancestor that can identify within the four previous generations.
Last year, the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Ontario bosses adopted a statement that condemn any person or group that “falsely claims” indigenous identity for their own benefit. The declaration says that doing so promotes the marginalization of the voices of the first nations, Inuit and River River Metis.
Other indigenous leaders have talked about the issue, while the federal government has remained silent.
