Utoo Radio with other sources - March 11, 2024 - Three Cree sisters recounted their difficult childhoods in a Peterborough, Ont., courtroom last year. They remembered their married aunt's frequent beatings.

They accused their foster mother, Katherine Cannon, of beating them with fists, a belt, and razor strap and threatening them with death and racism throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

According to their statement, the woman who called them "dirty Indians" became Algonquins of Ontario "chief". They said her Algonquin identity was fabricated in the 1990s for personal gain.

A judge validated Sharon Cannon, Rosie Christie, and Darlene Paddy-Cannon's abuse confession after a decade of litigation.

Justice S.E. Fraser of Ontario Superior Court said they were belittled, physically punished, treated as servants, and left unprotected.

"They lost their innocence."

This case examines Indigenous identity fraud and its harm, which is relevant for survivors of prior abuse.

The sisters discussed whether their abuser's ambiguous Algonquin identity caused more distress since it allowed her to obtain financial and political power by aligning herself with the ancestry she had shamed.

The Ontario Algonquins have been criticized for missing Indigenous representation.

Identity fraud marginalizes First Nations, denies them opportunities, and allows settlers to affect their future, according to the plaintiffs and the judge.

Fraser awarded each sister $260,000 for the torture by Katherine Cannon and the Canadian government. The judge did not rule on Katherine Cannon's alleged false Algonquin identity due to a lack of proof.

Katherine Cannon denied all charges throughout the trial, and she and the Canadian government have appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal. Katherine Cannon said nothing when asked.

According to court filings, appeal counsel Robert Reynolds called Fraser's conclusions "illogical, irrational, and not supported by the evidence," especially when discounting defense witnesses. Reynolds declined to comment.

Sharon Cannon and Rosie Christie said representing themselves at the trials was cathartic. They also thanked lawyer John A. Annen for representing them in the initial trial, which they lost but appealed.

Due to legal processes, they declined an interview.

The message stressed their dedication to justice.

Darlene Paddy-Cannon declined comment.

Both siblings are in their fifties and are the children of Cree mother Marie Paddy, who escaped residential school, and Irish father Gerald Cannon. Each sister is from Thunderchild First Nation in western Saskatchewan.

Gerald moved the kids with his mother Ethel Cannon near Bancroft, Ont., in September 1964. After Ethel died, Gerald's brother Vern and his wife Katherine took care of the children.

Fraser cited Marie's alcohol issues in her conclusion. Marie tried to reconcile with her children, but no court removed her parental rights until 1993.

Others monitored Marie's desire to have children. Fraser said she was discriminated against for being national.

"The amount of attention focused on her stands out compared to the white women who looked after the plaintiffs when they were young."

Fraser described how Department of Indian Affairs officials planned the sisters' return to Thunderchild for their benefit. After the local Children's Aid Society declined to participate, the plans were put on hold, resulting in the tragedy.

The judge said the plaintiffs lost their nation, culture, language, and community when they were removed from their mother.

The Canadian government disputes Fraser's federal negligence ruling but not abuse.

"Federal officials did not have any child welfare powers in respect of the plaintiffs," said Justice Canada lawyer Daniel Luxat in an appeal notice.

The 2004-founded Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) collective group promoted modern treaty discussions in eastern Ontario. Last year, 2,000 people with disputed heritage were evicted.

Katherine Cannon claims Algonquin ancestry from an ancestor not included in the cleaning. CBC Indigenous did not find her on the October 2023 deleted electors list.

According to the verdict, Katherine Cannon is Irish-Algonquin and traces her ancestors to Baptiste Lake in Bancroft, 235 kilometers west of Ottawa.

Katherine's lineage begins with Jean Baptiste Kegic-o-manitou, born around 1794, the father of chief John Baptiste Dufond, according to an AOO voters list from 2015. She claims this lineage from her mother, Gertrude Green, Fraser said.

A judicial family tree lists Gertrude as Susan Baptiste's daughter.

However, the sisters obtained Gertrude's baptismal certificate, which lists her parents as "unknown." They shared Gertrude's obituary, which lists John and Madeline Baptiste as her parents but removes Susan.

Katherine Cannon's statements cannot be substantiated, thus the sisters alleged she profited from identity fraud.

Katherine Cannon has negotiated the Algonquin land claim since 1991 for Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini Algonquin First Nation, which is not an Indian Act band or self-governing First Nation.

Only one of AOO's 10 settlements, Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, is a federally recognized Indian Act band. Some chiefs in nine other communities negotiate treaties as chosen representatives.

Katherine Cannon spoke about her 27 years as an AOO community leader and her pay after money became available. She authorized Indian status cards that resembled federal ones as leader. Plaintiffs claim she worked without paying taxes and transferred the band office to her daughter's house.

Fraser doubted Katherine Cannon's claim that she always had a strong sense of identity because First Nations traditions were not part of the sisters' household.

From the facts provided, I cannot determine Katherine's First Nations heritage. I cannot conclude she is not, the judge ruled.

Fraser worried that Katherine Cannon's claim could undermine her credibility in court. Her appeal lawyer said the accusation was unproven.

As a way to remedy the case's shortcomings, the judge found more reasons to doubt Katherine Cannon's evidence, which Fraser suspected was intentional.

The court stated that Katherine Cannon cleaned the adjacent school despite breaching a foster care agreement that forbade external employment. She said she treated the Cree sisters like her daughters, but their experiences after they left contradicted this.

"Nothing," Fraser wrote.

The judge noted her absence from writing, calling, and visiting.

According to a press statement, the Crown-Indigenous Relations Department has asked court clarification. Canada wants the case against the federal government thrown out with its appeal.

The appeal hearing date is still pending.