In the case at-hand, Legault certainly looks like a guy who was grasping at straws for a lighter hand from the justice system. Not sure who would need to be ‘paid’ in this circumstance.
As a sidebar, I believe Gladue explicitly addresses loss of language and connection with background as an impact of colonialism that must be considered in sentencing, i.e., it’s not necessary to have a deep connection with Indigenous heritage / culture to be considered via Gladue. But yeah, not a factor in this case, which the judge went to great lengths to point out.
Anyway, the sentencing referenced some material that pointed me to the case of writer Joseph Boyden, who falsely claimed Indigenous ancestry. Led me to an article by Wab Kinew about the issue titled There is room in our circle for Joseph Boyden. If you don’t mind sharing, what’s your take on Kinew’s stance?
I ask because it strikes me as antipodal from your view, and I’m just not sure what to think about the issue of identity here.