AFN delegates vote overwhelmingly in support of embattled national chief
Chiefs representing Indigenous communities from coast to coast have descended on Vancouver for the Assembly of First Nations General Assembly — with several resolutions on the agenda that could determine the political fate of their elected leader.
National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, the first woman elected to that position, entered day one of the assembly under suspension and with her future very much in doubt.
“It’s not an easy decision. It has been based on much discussion amongst our executive,” said Regional Chief Paul Prosper who represents Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. “Many long days, many long nights.”
Archibald has been suspended with pay since June 17 over alleged workplace bullying and harassment.
But she claims the suspension is part of what she calls an attempted coup in retaliation for her attempts to shine a light on alleged corruption within the AFN.
When she campaigned for the role of national chief, she promised that if elected she would root out corruption within the organization.
“I am relentless in my pursuit of truth. Let me assure you that the struggle for transparency, accountability and truth is an honourable and worthy cause,” Chief Archibald told the assembled delegates ahead of a vote on her suspension.
The emergency resolution calling on the chiefs to uphold the suspension handed down by the executive was brought forward by Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc who said the leadership situation had become a national embarrassment.
But Chief Archibald’s supporters fiercely defended her in the debate before the vote, asserting the members of the executive do not have the authority to suspend the elected national chief.
“They made a mistake. They should not have tried to suspend the national chief,” said Khelsilem, elected chair of the Squamish Nation. “They got caught. Now this resolution comes forward to try to fix what they shouldn’t have done in the first place.”
The resolution calling for Archibald’s suspension was roundly rejected by the chiefs with only 44 voting in support of it, 252 voting against and 26 abstentions.
Two other votes on emergency resolutions that were supposed to take place on Tuesday have been put over until Wednesday.
One calls for an independent audit of the AFN’s financial and management practices.
The other calls for a non-confidence vote in the national chief’s leadership — but based on the show of support she received on Tuesday, Archibald can probably be fairly confident in her political future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.