AFN national chief under investigation over bullying, harassment allegations

The national chief of the country's most influential First Nations organization is under pressure to step aside as she faces an external investigation over bullying and harassment allegations from four of her staff members, CBC News has learned.

The complaints against Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald were filed under the organization's whistleblower policy.

In a statement issued Thursday, the AFN confirmed it received a number of complaints last month against Archibald and determined the findings supported further inquiry by an external investigator.

In her own statement released Thursday, Archibald said she welcomes the investigation and called for a forensic audit and independent inquiry into the last eight years of AFN operations.

In her statement, Archibald claims she never had a human resources complaint launched against her prior to her work at AFN.

"This is the second time that I've endured a smear campaign as a result of my relentless pursuit of the truth," Archibald said in her statement.

"I hope people can see the toxic pattern at the AFN."

Archibald alleges the four staff members filed complaints against her after they tried to secure $1 million in contract payouts.

"The background deals, the large payouts to staff and other documented incidents of corruption and collusion has caused us to lose sight of our shared goal: to fight for the collective rights of more than 900,000 Indigenous Peoples living in more than 600 First Nations communities, cities and towns across Turtle Island," she wrote in a statement posted to social media.

The whistleblower mechanism the staff used to file complaints against Archibald was created last year following a separate bullying and harassment investigation of her while she was Ontario regional chief.

The new complaints include objections to Archibald's alleged introduction of a Hawaiian cultural practice called ho'oponopono during weekly meetings. The complaints claim that the practice sees Archibald recite prayers for staff members' healing or in response to their errors, and say that she asks them to share their childhood traumas.

Multiple sources who spoke to CBC News said some staff members complained this practice served to re-traumatize them. The sources spoke on the condition they not be named because they fear reprisals.

Archibald's counsel Aaron Detlor told CBC News he's unaware of any Hawaiian cultural practices employed by the national chief, or of her asking people to reveal childhood traumas. He said he's aware Archibald believes strongly in Indigenous-based healing.

The investigation is being conducted by an outside firm hired by the AFN.