RoseAnne Archibald at an AFN meeting in 2018. Photo: APTN
The Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nations said they are “embarrassed and disheartened” by the way the Assembly of First Nations has voted to oust national chief RoseAnne Archibald.
“We are disappointed these events have led to the expulsion of the first female National Chief. During a time when Treaty rights should be our focus, this has been an unwelcome distraction,” said the emailed statement.
On Wednesday, AFN members voted 71 per cent in favour of removing Archibald.
The decision comes after a third-party investigation this year into five complaints made against Archibald in 2022.
A draft resolution from June 28 says, “The investigators found that the National Chief harassed two complainants contrary to the AFN’s Workplace Violence, Discrimination, and Harassment Policy.”
The resolution further states that “the National Chief breached the confidentiality requirements of the Harassment Policy, the AFN’s Whistleblower Policy and Code of Conduct and Ethics for the AFN Executive Committee.”
The resolution also said that Archibald “retaliated” against all five complainants “as reprisal for bringing forward their complaints.”
Alberta does not currently have representation at the AFN executive after the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs organization in Alberta dismissed Marlene Poitras who held the position since February 2018.
“We view this lack of recognition for our Treaty Grand Chiefs as a failure of the AFN and a lack of respect towards our own governance,” said the statement by Treaty 6 chiefs.
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APTN has reached out to Treaty 8 representatives but did not hear back.
A statement from Archibald’s social media posted by supporters said “RoseAnne told us that she will be entering ceremony this weekend to ground her sacred responsibilities.”
APTN has reached out to Archibald for comment, but she is not currently doing interviews.
Her statement encourages First Nations people to contact their chief to ask how they voted.
