Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Derek Fox insists he remains in the dark about why he’s been suspended, even after a group of chiefs have decided the suspension should continue.
An emergency Nishnawbe Aski Nation chiefs’ meeting was held in Toronto on Thursday, where Fox said he was told that the suspension will remain in effect.
In an interview late in the afternoon, Fox said he continues to have “no idea what’s going on.”
“I haven’t seen a complaint. I haven’t seen any kind of lawsuit or charge. Nothing. Not a single thing,” Fox said. “I haven’t been told anything. I haven’t been able to defend myself and I don’t know what’s being accused of me.”
The grand chief’s suspension was first announced on Feb. 27 through a statement released by Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which was attributed to executive council members Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum and Deputy Grand Chief Victor Linklater.
The statement said Fox was being suspended while an internal investigation was conducted into alleged violations of the executive code of conduct.
At the time, the organization said it would not be providing further comment on the matter.
Fox had filed a lawsuit in January against Onigaming First Nation Chief Jeff Copenace, alleging comments Copenace made at the Assembly of First Nations special chiefs’ assembly in December were defamatory and damaging to his reputation. The lawsuit alleges Copenace's remarks accused Fox of being a woman abuser.
In the interview, Fox mentioned those allegations and “judgmental leaders who didn’t want to let it go.”
“This all stems from the Jeff Copenace allegations, I believe — allegations that haven’t been proven or substantiated and third-party hearsay,” he said. “I believe that’s why I’m here today, why I’m suspended. It all came from that.”
Fox said he first heard word of the Thursday meeting from a few chiefs, and then received an invite to attend from the two deputy grand chiefs earlier this week. He said the invite indicated he would be given an opportunity to address the chiefs in the afternoon.
The grand chief went to the meeting in the morning, where Fox said he was initially allowed inside but not given an opportunity to speak. Fox said he was then asked to leave the room when the meeting went into an in-camera session.
The closed-door meeting extended well into the afternoon, Fox said, adding he was notified in the end that a decision had been made to continue with the suspension.
He was never given a chance to speak, he said.
“I argued that I should have the right to know what’s being said about me, so I have the chance to defend [myself], in terms of procedural fairness,” Fox said. “I need to know what’s going on.
“To this day, I have no idea what’s going on. I know in my heart I’ve done nothing wrong. I stressed that to them – to no avail.”
In a statement last week, Fox said he had been “wrongfully and possibly defamed by statements that are untrue.” Fox called for a new executive election to be held within 60 or 90 days.
“I felt that the executive was one that could not get along, and that the two deputies put out that notice based on internal employment matters, that I felt tarnished NAN and trying to unlawfully remove the grand chief. I’m still here,” Fox said. “As a grand chief and member of the executive, I felt that we should all accept responsibility for being a part of this executive and they should call an election, or if not at least bring in a team to fix that office.”
“There’s a lot of issues within that office and it’s evident. It’s very evident that there needs to be some work done.”
If the situation is an internal employment matter that could have been worked out through human resources, it should never have turned political, Fox argued.
“It’s something that’s gotten out of hand, and I feel that I’m just left out in the dark,” he said.
Fox vowed to continue fighting for the seat, but said he will do so in a respectful way.
He did not commit to running in the next election — whenever that takes place — and said any decision would be made with his family’s input.
