References to Jerry Daniels removed from Southern Chiefs' Organization website following altercation in Ottawa
SCO hasn't confirmed incident, says it will provide a statement from executive committee on Thursday
UPDATE: As of Sunday evening, Jerry Daniels' biography on the website was restored.
The Southern Chiefs' Organization has quietly removed references to Jerry Daniels, who has been the organization's grand chief since 2017, from its website after he was hospitalized following an altercation in Ottawa earlier this week.
The development comes after a source, whom CBC has agreed not to name, confirmed Daniels was involved in an altercation early Tuesday morning in Ottawa, where he was attending the Assembly of First Nations special chiefs assembly.
Ottawa Police Service spokesperson Julie Kavanagh said while the police service doesn't confirm incidents by victim's name, officers were called to the city's ByWard Market area around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday for a "disturbance."
"A man was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," Kavanagh said in a statement emailed to CBC Thursday.
The incident was still under investigation at that point, she said.
It's still unclear if Daniels remains in hospital.
CBC News contacted the Southern Chiefs' Organization and Daniels for comment this week, but neither responded to questions about the incident.
Instead, in a statement Saturday, SCO's acting director of communications, Karen Mitchell, said the organization will be providing a statement from its executive committee "at the end of the day" on Thursday.
In the meantime, Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean is currently acting as SCO's grand chief, she said.
When reached by CBC News Thursday night, McLean confirmed he is acting as grand chief for what he said will be a "very short term," but declined to comment further.
He's also listed on SCO's website as acting grand chief under the staff directory.
McLean was asked at an unrelated press conference held Friday by the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council — which he also chairs — if he had an update on Daniels and how long he expected to be SCO's acting grand chief, but again offered no comment.
"This is not about Jerry Daniels here," he said.
As of Saturday, there were no references to Daniels as grand chief on SCO's website. A link to a biography for Daniels turns up a result saying, "sorry, but the page you are trying to view does not exist."
However, a different excerpt under a section called "Honouring SCO Grand Chiefs — Past and Present" still included Daniels as of Saturday afternoon.
Disappointed with lack of information: chief
Meanwhile, Minegoziibe Anishinabe (Pine Creek First Nation) Chief Derek Nepinak posted a statement to social media Saturday, on behalf of Minegoziibe Anishinabe, which he said was in response to questions from members following mainstream media and social media reports on Daniels.
"We are sympathetic to the physical injuries that he may have incurred but remain a mystery to us as we have not been reported to on this matter," the statement said.
"We have not been able to confirm the status of any incident as we have not received a report from the SCO on the status of the grand chief."
Nepinak told CBC News on Friday he was disappointed more hadn't been shared with leaders of SCO communities.
"We deserve to be able to show our respect and put out our wishes for the well-being of our grand chief," he said. "We haven't been able to do that, and I'm disappointed by that level of communication."
However, he said he recognizes it's a "delicate situation," and said the "rumour mill" and social media aren't the right places to get information.
"I think any kind of public statement would be helpful," he said. "There's a lot of the leadership in the south that is looking for a statement or something to be said about possibly what happened [and] the condition of the grand chief."
The chief also questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident, especially in light of pressing First Nations issues presented at the Assembly of First Nations assembly in Ottawa, including child welfare reform and poverty.
"I work my ass off for the community," the chief said. "At the end of the day, there's leadership like myself and the majority of leadership that tries to do their best."
Elected to 3rd term this year
Daniels was first elected as grand chief of the Southern Chiefs' Organization in 2017. He was acclaimed for a second term in 2020 and re-elected this past June.
The organization represents 33 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations in southern Manitoba, and more than 87,000 citizens, according to its website.
SCO is also currently leading the Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn project, a $200-million redevelopment project to transform the former Hudson's Bay building in downtown Winnipeg, which it acquired in 2022.
The plan calls for the building to become a mixed-use housing, cultural and service hub, which is expected to include 350 affordable housing units, two restaurants, office space for Indigenous entrepreneurs, a health centre, a child-care facility, a seniors' centre, and SCO offices.
Additionally, SCO and True North Real Estate Development plan to work together to build a residential tower at the site of the Portage Place shopping centre in downtown Winnipeg, across Portage Avenue from the Bay building, as part of an estimated $650-million redevelopment of the mall.
With files from Santiago Arias Orozco