Michelle Latimer, ‘Trickster’ Creator, Faces Backlash After Her Indigenous Identity Is Questioned

Canadian filmmaker Michelle Latimer, who has claimed to be Indigenous for the past 20 years, is being accused of falsifying her heritage, Variety reports. Latimer, who directed the documentary Inconvenient Indian and co-created CBC series Trickster, was the subject of a Dec. 17 CBC piece that questioned claims that she was of “Algonquin, Métis and French heritage, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (Maniwaki), Quebec.”

Census records reveal that Latimer’s grandfather was French-Canadian, not Indigenous or Métis like she claimed. A researcher found that Latimer’s two Indigenous relatives were alive in the 17th century, while the rest of her family was “easily identifiable as French Canadians, Irish, Scottish.”

As a result of the investigation into her heritage, Latimer’s Inconvenient Indian, an award-winning TIFF film, has been pulled from Sundance. “After engaging with the Indigenous participants who appear onscreen, the NFB’s Indigenous advisory group, and industry partners, the NFB, 90th Parallel Productions and producer Jesse Wente have decided to withdraw Inconvenient Indian from active distribution,” the National Film Board of Canada said in a statement yesterday.

Trickster, Latimer’s CBC series that was recently picked up by The CW, is facing fallout after the accusations as well. After the news broke, producers Danis Goulet and Tony Elliott both quit the series, while “Trickster” author Eden Robinson, who is Indigenous, issued a statement sharing her “anger, disappointment and stress.”

Latimer has since resigned as Trickster director, but the CBC is determining its next steps with the series. “What emerged has, directly or indirectly, had an impact on the producers, cast, crew, writers, author and many Indigenous communities,” they said in a statement. CBC will work with Trickster producer Sienna Films to “engage with community members and other key stakeholders to determine the future of Trickster,” they added.

Decider has reached out the The CW about Trickster, which is set to premiere on the network in January, but did not hear back by time of publication.

In response to the backlash, Latimer shared an apology post on Facebook. “I know that when questions like these are raised, it hurts our entire community and undermines the years of hard work that so many have contributed towards raising Indigenous voices,” she wrote, per Variety. “I take responsibility for the strain this conversation is having on the people who have supported me, and I apologize as well for any negative impact on my peers in the Indigenous filmmaking community.”