Annual General Assembly Begins as Assembly of First Nations Appoints Interim National Chief Amid Dispute with Expelled Chief

Today marks the start of the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly, and it comes at an interesting time.

Earlier this month, the Assembly voted to expel National Chief RoseAnne Archibald for violating their whistleblower policy and code of conduct.

That decision came despite just 231 of 634 eligible Nations being represented, leading Archibald to reiterate claims of corruption and collusion.

Yesterday, the AFN appointed New Brunswick Regional Chief and Madawaska First Nation member, Joanna Bernard as interim National Chief.

But Archibald says she will be attending the four-day Assembly in an effort to identify next steps in her campaign for reinstatement.

BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee says reinstatement is unlikely, and that the AFN needs to move on and focus on the issues at hand.

Today’s agenda includes discussions on Child and Family Services reform, housing, drinking water legislation, and more.

You can find the full agenda and more information at this link.