{"id":32200,"date":"2023-09-21T20:33:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T00:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=32200"},"modified":"2023-09-21T21:29:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T01:29:12","slug":"criminal-charges-announced-in-indigenous-identity-fraud-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/09\/21\/criminal-charges-announced-in-indigenous-identity-fraud-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Criminal charges announced in Indigenous identity fraud case"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Iqaluit,<\/a>
A stop sign in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in English and Inuktitut. Photo: Angela<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Criminal charges announced in Indigenous identity fraud case<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, September 21, 2023<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nCriminal charges have been laid against three family members who lied about their Indigenous identity for personal and monetary gain, authorities in Canada announced.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n Karima Manji, 59, and her twin daughters, Amira Gill and Nadya Gill, both 25, committed fraud while claiming to be Inuit, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police<\/a> (RCMP).\r\nThe family members are accused of defrauding Inuit organizations of money to which they otherwise would not have been entitled, the law enforcement agency said in a news release<\/a> on Thursday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThe women used this Inuit beneficiary status to defraud the Kakivak Association and Qikiqtani Inuit Association of funds that are only available to Inuit beneficiaries by obtaining grants and scholarships,\u201d the release from the RCMP<\/a> in Iqaluit<\/a>, the capital of Nunavut<\/a>, a self-governing Inuit territory in Canada.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"Note<\/a>

A note by Indianz.Com on Substack<\/a> links to the RCMP press release about Amira Gill, Nadya Gill and Karima Manji.<\/figcaption> \r\n

<\/p>\r\nAccording to the RCMP, Manji and the Gill twins have been charged with two counts each of fraud over $5,000. Under the criminal code in Canada<\/a>, each could face up to 14 years in prison if found guilty in court.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe three women have been scheduled to appear on October 30 in court in Iqaluit<\/a>. That’s more than 2,300 kilometers, or nearly 1,500 miles, from Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, which is where the RCMP said the family members are based.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n The announcement comes five months after the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.<\/a> (NTI), the parent entity of the Kakivak Association and Qikiqtani Inuit Association, asked the RCMP to investigate Manji and the Gill twins<\/a>. The Inuit organization is hailing the charges against the trio, calling it not only a matter of self-governance, but an affirmation of the Canadian government’s commitment to the agreement that created the territory of Nunavut.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cInuit identity is a matter of profound cultural significance, deeply embedded in the tapestry of Inuit culture, history, and way of life. It transcends mere paperwork or formal documentation and is rooted in shared traditions, languages, and the legacy of ancestors,\u201d Aluki Kotierk, the president of NTI said in a news release<\/a> on Thursday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \u201cInuit identity is intimately linked to the land, the stories passed down through generations, and the customs that define their way of life,” said Kotierk. “It encompasses the knowledge of traditions, use of languages, and the appreciation of customs that truly define Inuit individuals.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n