(Ottawa) RoseAnne Archibald is asking her supporters to tell their chiefs and councils to reinstate her as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), after being removed from her post last week.
In a five-minute video posted to Facebook, RoseAnne Archibald also urges her supporters to ensure the national rights organization’s forensic audit goes ahead.
“You can call your chief and council, text them or email them and ask them two things. One, that they restore me to my position as national chief and second, that they ensure that the forensic audit continues,” she said in the video statement recorded in her car in a parking lot. British Columbia.
Last Wednesday, Mr.me Archibald was removed as national leader after more than a year of turmoil over her leadership.
The vote took place at a special chiefs assembly, convened in part to consider the implications of a human resources investigation related to complaints by AFN staff against Mr.me Archibald.
The resolution to oust her, just over two years after she became the first woman to hold the position, passed with the support of around 70% of attendees at the virtual meeting.
The infighting within the organization of more than 600 First Nations came to the fore last July at a rally in Vancouver, when Ms.me Archibald showed up despite being temporarily suspended.
After chiefs rejected an emergency resolution to uphold his suspension, Mrme Archibald expressed her gratitude, saying she was unfairly suspended because she tried to investigate corruption in the assembly.
In Monday’s video, Mme Archibald reiterated those claims, saying the “pushback” she is receiving is because she has been fighting corruption within the NPC since October 2022.
“I don’t want to be reinstated because of my ego. I want to be reinstated because I have a sacred responsibility that I must assume,” Ms.me Archibald in the video.
“What the Chiefs did on June 28 is they went ahead and committed one of the most violent acts against an Indigenous leader, a First Nations woman Nations. »
The AFN said the chief’s post will be vacant until an interim national chief is chosen from the executive committee, and an election is expected to take place at a special chiefs assembly in December.