Global Courant
First Nations leaders responded to comments made by RoseAnne Archibald, the deposed national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), in a live video on Facebook on Thursday by saying they want the AFN to get back to work.
In the video, Archibald called her removal as national head a “coup” orchestrated by the regional heads of the AFN.
At a virtual AFN meeting on June 28, 71 percent of the chiefs present voted to remove her. She is the first national chief to be voted out mid-term.
“This is not a coup,” said Scott McLeod, head of Nipissing First Nation, about 300 kilometers north of Toronto.
“This is what the chefs want and I, like many others, just want to get on with business.”
Archibald mentioned McLeod in Thursday night’s video, suggesting he was part of a conspiracy to oust her and that he is a spokesman for regional leaders.
Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod says “there are no conspiracies” to oust RoseAnne Archibald as national head. (Brett Forester/CBC)
“There are no conspiracies,” McLeod said.
He said the video has no basis in fact and is a continuation of the kind of politics that have plagued the AFN since Archibald became national head.
McLeod said he is not speaking for other leaders in the meeting.
“I am part of this meeting and this is a meeting of the leaders and we are allowed to speak on topics, we should be free to speak on topics,” McLeod said.
McLeod said he will attend the AFN’s annual general meeting in Halifax next week but will take an early flight home if the meeting dissolves into a “fiasco” and “waste of time”, addressing issues related to Archibald instead of subjects. the meeting is for.
“I’m trying to do work on behalf of my First Nation,” McLeod said.
“Hopefully we can get started.”
Archibald posts videos on social media
The AFN is the largest Indigenous advocacy organization in Canada, representing more than 600 First Nations communities across the country.
An outside investigation launched last year into five misconduct complaints filed by AFN employees against Archibald found that she harassed two complainants and retaliated against all five. The virtual meeting last week was held to address the report’s finding, and she was voted out as national head.
Archibald has denied the report’s findings and has repeatedly called the HR investigation a “distraction” and “obfuscation” for “what’s really going on at the AFN” in her social media videos.
Archibald turned down CBC News’ request for an interview for this story. She has not spoken to the media since her impeachment, but this week posted two videos to her Facebook page addressing her supporters.
Archibald also called out Cindy Woodhouse, Manitoba’s regional chief, in Thursday’s video, suggesting she was seeking a seat as national chief.
Cindy Woodhouse, regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Manitoba, declined to say whether she would run for national head. (Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak/Facebook)
Woodhouse has not confirmed or denied her intention to run for the national head.
“I’ve always had the intention of helping First Nations people and so I’m now focused on being the best regional chef I can for the Manitoba region,” she said.
Woodhouse said she believes in safe workplaces and making sure AFN personnel are protected.
Woodhouse said there is work to be done for the AFN to become a well-run organization again with strong leadership that works together in a “friendly way”.
“We’ll move on,” Woodhouse said.
Allegations of ‘government interference’
In Thursday night’s video, Archibald accused the AFN of becoming a “tool for government” and called for an investigation into “government interference in AFN.”
Archibald also called Paul Prosper, regional chief for Nova Scotia. He was appointed to the Senate that day.
AFN Nova Scotia Regional Chief Paul Prosper was appointed to the Senate on Thursday. Archibald proclaimed him as part of a “coup d’état” to oust her. (Andrew Lee/CBC)
Archibald posted the appointment on her Facebook page with the caption, “There are no coincidences. The regional chief speaking on behalf of other regional chiefs is talking about: their #coup against me.”
Prosper told CBC News that he respected Archibald.
“That’s right, but we are on different sides of an important issue that was recently decided,” he said.
Archibald said in the video that she has not yet made a decision on whether to attend next week’s meeting in Halifax and that she will send a memo to the more than 600 chiefs represented by the AFN asking for guidance on the matter. asks.
