as an author, who tells stories of our common heritage, and for his social engagement, notably in support of First Nations". Joseph Boyden was married to author Amanda Boyden from 1995 to 2018. In 2020, Amanda Boyden published a memoir, I Got the Dog, in which she wrote about the circumstances that brought on the end of their marriage. Joseph Boyden lives in Georgian Bay, Ontario with his wife Laura and their two sons. In 2019, Boyden wrote about coming home and finding new life in Georgian Bay Today magazine. Joseph Boyden is the co-creator of Sweetwater Writers Workshop in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. Sweetwater Writers Workshop offers one-on-one mentorships, creative writing workshops and hosts retreats. Controversies surrounding genealogy and tribal affiliation Joseph Boyden is primarily of Irish and Scottish ancestry. A number of Indigenous writers and researchers came forward to publicly state Joseph did not have the right to speak on behalf of any Indigenous community because he was not a First Nations citizen and ultimately not Indigenous. Joseph's claims to Indigenous heritage subsequently became the subject of public dispute when an APTN National News article, "Author Joseph Boyden's shape-shifting Indigenous identity" by Jorge Barrera, was published December 23, 2016. Barrera's article investigates Joseph's past claims of Mi'kmaq, and Métis ancestry as well as his current claims of being Nipmuc and Ojibway. Barrera brought to light facts surrounding Joseph's uncle Earl Boyden, who went by the name "Injun Joe". Earl Boyden was an artist in Algonquin Park and was the subject of a 1956 Maclean's article titled, "The Double Life of Injun Joe", in which the author reports that he has no "Indian blood." Barrera's search of Joseph's family tree could not locate any Indigenous ancestry. Joseph's mother, who was briefly interviewed via telephone by Barrera, said that her son was researching her family's history. Joseph, who had refused an interview with APTN for the article, responded by Twitter on December 24. Joseph stated he admitted he'd called himself Métis, but only meant the term to mean mixed blood. He continued to assert his maternal Ojibway and paternal Nipmuc roots. Subsequently, Rebeka Tabobondung, editor of Muskrat Magazine, revealed Boyden had told her he was from the Wasauksing First Nation. Tabobondung, who is from Wasauksing, followed up to find his family connection and could not. However, Boyden's family did own a private island near the community. Over the next weeks