First Nations Chief Accused of Bullying Staff Calls Outside Probe of Her Workplace Conduct 'Colonial'

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald claims the workplace misconduct investigation probing her treatment of staff is following a "colonial path" because its non-Indigenous investigators could "demonize" Indigenous cultural practices.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) launched an external investigation of Archibald's conduct last spring after four of her senior staff and the AFN's outgoing CEO accused her of bullying and harassment.

In a memo sent on Jan. 26 to chiefs-in-assembly, Archibald called the probe a "colonial legal process" that distracts from the AFN's real work.

"I have met the investigators and am concerned that they're non-Indigenous and may not have a grounding in our traditional practices and ways of being which could easily lead us down a colonial path of having this process demonize our cultural practices," she wrote in the memo, which was obtained by CBC News.

"This kind of non-Indigenous investigation is antagonistic, confrontational, and moves us further away from bringing healing and harmony to our working relationships."