The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says a meeting will soon be held to formally remove Arlen Dumas as grand chief after an independent investigation found he engaged in sexual harassment in the workplace.
A staff member filed a workplace misconduct complaint against Dumas in March. Dumas was suspended and a third law firm was assigned to investigate.
The final report was reviewed by the executive board Wednesday evening, according to a news release. The content is being kept confidential out of respect for the sensitive nature of the investigation, AMC said.
A special session is coming up to remove Dumas from the role through a vote of no confidence under the assembly’s constitution. Until then, he remains suspended without pay, Thursday’s press release said.
Shauna Fontaine, who told CBC News earlier this month that she was the woman who filed the complaint against Dumas, also accused him of sexual assault.
Fontaine said she was motivated to publicly reveal her identity after more than 200 people signed an open letter calling for an independent investigation into Dumas.
Winnipeg police earlier said an incident number had been generated for a complaint, but they could not confirm the parties involved.
On Thursday, Fontaine said she felt satisfied that the workplace investigation had looked at the evidence and upheld her complaint, although overall she had mixed emotions.
“Sexual harassment, you know, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “My disclosure that I was sexually assaulted, they don’t even mention it, maybe because it’s a criminal matter.”
Shona Fontaine identified herself earlier this month as the woman who filed a complaint against Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlene Dumas. (Walter Bernal/CBC)
Fontaine said she lived with trauma and fear and experienced other negative outcomes as a result of the experience.
“When we go to work, we need to feel safe, especially as an Indigenous woman working in an Indigenous environment,” Fontaine said. “At the same time, I feel very supported and loved by the community members who contacted me after I came forward with my name. I felt believed.”
Fontaine said she has not received direct communication from AMC or an apology.
“A big part of the responsibility is making amends, and my employer, as he’s done this investigation, now sees the evidence that shows he was wrong and that I was telling the truth, that I wasn’t lying,” she said.
“An apology to me for my experience, from the superiors or from someone at AMC, would really mean a lot to me as a survivor.”
Dumas has not been charged and none of the allegations have been tested in court.
CBC News has reached out to Dumas for comment several times since March, but has not heard back.
Dumas became grand chief in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021. Before that, he was chief of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, in northwestern Manitoba, for more than a decade.
Chief Cornell McLean of the Lake Manitoba First Nation was elected to lead the assembly on an interim basis in April. Eric Redhead, chief of the Shamatawa First Nation, filled the role when Dumas was initially removed, but he stepped down soon after, citing time constraints and commitments.
The assembly said it is committed to reviewing and reviewing its workplace policies and practices to ensure it promotes a culture of support and respect.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs represents 62 First Nations in the province, representing more than 151,000 people.
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