Assembly of First Nations suspends National Chief RoseAnne Archibald
Posted Jun 17, 2022 7:07 pm.
Last Updated Jun 18, 2022 10:30 am.
The Assembly of First Nations says it has voted to suspend National Chief RoseAnne Archibald.
The AFN’s executive committee and board of directors said in a release Friday that her suspension was effective immediately pending the outcome of investigations into four complaints against her.
It says Archibald’s suspension was prompted by public statements she made Thursday that breached her obligations to the AFN, adding they are contrary to her oath of office, the AFN’s code of conduct, and its Whistleblower Policy.
— RoseAnne Archibald ???? (@ChiefRoseAnne) June 16, 2022
The AFN says Archibald has been ordered not to discuss the investigation publicly and is prohibited from attending its annual general assembly and chief’s assembly meeting next month.
In a statement Thursday, Archibald said she was being “undermined, discredited and attacked” for trying to clean up corruption in the AFN. She also called for a forensic audit and independent inquiry into the conduct of the AFN over the last eight years.
“While the Regional Chiefs have the authority to suspend me from the Board and as Board Chair, they do not have the authority to remove me as the AFN National Chief, nor can they determine whether I can or cannot attend next month’s AFN Annual General Assembly in Vancouver,” she said in a statement shared on social media.
“As National Chief, I’ll continue to press for a forensic audit and full impartial investigation into the AFN and I’ll continue to release truthful information in the coming days. I remain undeterred in my conviction that the AFN is sorely in need of a forensic audit and independent investigation. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
#AFNForensicAuditNow pic.twitter.com/I6IC12jCcX
— RoseAnne Archibald ???? (@ChiefRoseAnne) June 18, 2022
Archibald, who is of the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, was elected to serve as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in the summer of 2021. She became the first woman to take on that role.
The AFN represents 634 First Nations with 900,000 members.
