Mother pleads guilty in twin sisters' Indigenous identity fraud case
In September 2023, Iqaluit RCMP charged twin sisters Nadya Gill and Amira Gill and their mother, Karima Manji, with two counts of fraud of over $5,000 each for claiming Inuit status when they were not Inuit.
Manji, who previously claimed to be the twins’ adoptive mother, has now pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000. The second charge against her has been dropped. Charges against the twin sisters have also been dropped, per Nunatsiaq News, a local paper serving Nunavut and the Nunavik territory of Quebec.
The guilty plea happened inside an Iqaluit courtroom on Friday.
Amira and Nadya Gill (urfavpup_ace/Instagram)
The charges were initially laid after an investigation revealed that between October 2016 and September 2022, the women were “found to have applied for and obtained Inuit beneficiary status as adopted Inuit children through Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporation (NTI),” the RCMP said in a release.
Officials claimed that the Inuit status was used to defraud the Kakivak Association and Qikiqtani Inuit Association of funds only available to Inuit beneficiaries.
NTI told Nunatsiaq News that police had also accused Manji of unsuccessfully trying to apply for Inuit status for herself in 2018.
What happened
Nunatsiaq News first reported the story of the Gill sisters and their false status in March 2023.
The report indicated that Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) — an organization that ensures promises made under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out and verifies claims of Inuit ancestry — was investigating the sisters for “potential” enrolment fraud.
A previous NTI news release stated that Manji claimed Amira and Nadya were adopted from an Inuk mother.
That woman denied any claims to be the girls’ birth mother and initiated a process to have the twins removed from the Inuit enrolment list.
The girls also ran a company called Kanata Trade Co., which sold products that featured Indigenous artwork, claiming funds went to an organization called Indspire. This national Indigenous charity raises funds for Indigenous students.
They were even featured in media stories and interviews where they spoke about their business and about receiving previous assistance from Indspire.
Amira Gill appeared in a CTV News Ottawa interview in June 2021, speaking out about her and her sister’s company, Kanata Trade Co. (Screenshot)
In a September 2023 release from NTI, the organization said the charges against the Gill sisters and Manji “underscore the significance of preserving the integrity of Inuit enrolment and reaffirm the commitment to uphold the principles set forth in the Nunavut Agreement, Article 35.”
“Inuit identity is a matter of profound cultural significance, deeply embedded in the tapestry of Inuit culture, history, and way of life,” said Aluki Kotierk, president of NTI. “It transcends mere paperwork or formal documentation and is rooted in shared traditions, languages, and the legacy of ancestors.”
The NTI said that while this case is isolated, it has taken steps to strengthen its enrolment process.
With files from Simran Singh
Follow Channels and Categories