First Nations chiefs gather in Halifax to hear from new interim chief after ousting – St. Albert Gazette
HALIFAX — Hundreds of Indigenous leaders are gathering in Halifax for the start of the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly, where they will hear from their new interim national chief for the first time.
Joanna Bernard, a regional chief from New Brunswick, is to temporarily led the national advocacy organization after the dramatic ouster of national chief RoseAnne Archibald.
Archibald, the first woman elected to lead the assembly in 2021, was voted out during a recent special chiefs assembly held to address the findings of an investigation into five staff members’ complaints about her conduct.
The human resources review concluded some of Archibald’s behaviour amounted to harassment and also found she breached the organization’s policy by retaliating against complainants and failing to maintain confidentiality.
Archibald has alleged she was targeted for fighting corruption and demanding a financial audit.
She told audiences during a recent Facebook Live broadcast in the lead-up to the three-day meeting that she may attend and had been asking chiefs to reinstate her.
