APTN National News
For 15 years, Leon Jourdain served as chief and councillor of the Lac La Croix First Nation – an Anishinabe community in northwest Ontario.
But perhaps his most high profile political job was as leader of the grand council of Treaty 3.
While he was grand chief, Jourdain led a fight against the controversial First Nations Governance Act.
He also lobbied to have Indigenous voices included in the international softwood lumber dispute.
But after facing an accusation of sexual assault in 2004, he stepped down as grand chief.
That charge was eventually dropped and Jourdain is suing the Ontario Provincial Police and Crown over how the case was handled.
“When you mention sexual assault, people think the worst,” said Jourdain. “But I want to tell people out there that was an alleged kiss on the cheek.”
After a decade out of the public eye Jourdain is back and setting his sights on the top spot at the Assembly of First Nations.
APTN’s Tim Fontaine has more on the candidate from Ontario, which is part of a special APTN broadcast at 4 p.m., EST.
