New report's findings could kick 1,000 people off Algonquin membership rolls and out of land claim deal

A new report says there is no evidence that Thomas Lagarde dit St. Jean, a man born in the early 1800s near Montreal, was in fact Algonquin. 

This is significant, because more than 1,000 Canadians claim to be Algonquin because Lagarde is one of their ancestors. 

They are among the approximately 8,000 members of the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO), an organization on the verge of concluding a billion dollar land claim agreement with the governments of Canada and Ontario. 

In April 2021, the AOO began a tribunal process aimed at determining who has a legitimate claim to have Algonquin ancestry, and to be a beneficiary of the pending agreement.

Next year, the tribunal will be considering whether 14 disputed root ancestors, including Lagarde, have verifiable Algonquin ancestry. A report on Lagarde's wife Sophie Carriere Dit Jammes, also a disputed root ancestor, is expected any day now. 

In her 550-page report released Friday, Joan Holmes, the enrolment officer for the AOO, said after an exhaustive review of all available genealogical documentation, she has concluded there's no evidence that Lagarde was Algonquin. 

She said none of the "documentation regarding Thomas, his ancestors or immediate descendants, name these individuals as having any indigenous or Algonquin heritage."

"No one in Thomas Lagarde dit St. Jean's immediate family marry into known Algonquin families, reside with known Algonquin families, sign any Algonquin petitions, or witnessed or had events witnessed by known Algonquins." 

In fact, she concluded, the documents show that all of Lagard's ancestors can be traced back to France. 

This report, however, is not the final word. Starting in February, the AOO's tribunal will be considering submissions from the public providing evidence for or against the report's conclusions.

Veldon Coburn, an Algonquin professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies said if the reports finding is upheld, the more than 1,000 people relying on Lagarde as their Algonquin ancestor could be booted off the list. 

"For those people who have used this root ancestor, who are today running around town or the country claiming to be Algonquin, they are not Algonquin," said Coburn. "These people will be removed from the AOO list. They won't be able to claim they're Algonquin." 

The debate around Lagarde has been going on for almost 25 years. 

He was first placed on a list of Algonquin root ancestors in 1999. That decision was challenged and he was removed in 2000.