Southern Chiefs' Organization schedules summit focusing on grand chief's apology

The Southern Chiefs' Organization is changing course on the plan for its grand chief's return after initially saying he'd be coming back to work in early January. 

SCO said in an emailed statement Sunday it will now hold a chiefs-in-summit in January, which will "focus on the apology recently offered by Grand Chief Jerry Daniels and identify the best path forward."

"Grand Chief Daniels' leave will be extended accordingly," the statement said.

The development comes a day after CBC News obtained a letter dated Dec. 20, sent on behalf of the Southeast Resource Development Council's chiefs to SCO, saying they would withdraw from the organization unless a summit of its chiefs was held before a decision is made on Daniels' return to office. SCO announced late last week he would return to his role early in the new year. 

SCO previously said Daniels would be on leave for "an undetermined length of time," after he was hospitalized following an altercation in Ottawa earlier this month. 

But last week Daniels issued an apology via Facebook, saying he is seeking help after what he described as "a wake-up call," and the SCO announced his return.

In an emailed statement to CBC News Dec. 12, the organization, which represents 33 First Nations in southern Manitoba, cited "health reasons" for Daniels's departure

It said Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean had been named acting grand chief in Daniels's absence, and that its chiefs' executive committee would set "a date for a chiefs-in-summit to be held early in the new year."

But in an emailed statement this past Thursday, SCO announced Daniels would return to his post Jan. 6.

Meanwhile, the SERDC letter also said if the council's chiefs withdraw from SCO, they would request a "full valuation of any monetary or assets to be withdrawn from the SCO" and transferred to the council.

A motion calling for the summit was carried unanimously by the chiefs of all eight SERDC members — Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and Black River, Bloodvein, Pauinigassi, Hollow Water, Berens River, Grand Rapids and Poplar River First Nations.

Incident in Ottawa

SCO announced Daniels's leave after an incident earlier this month in Ottawa, where the Assembly of First Nations was holding a gathering.

A source, whom CBC has agreed not to name, said Daniels was involved in an early morning altercation while in the city for the assembly.

A spokesperson for the Ottawa Police Service said officers were called to the city's ByWard Market area around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 3 for a disturbance, after which a man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police would not confirm the victim's identity.

Neither Daniels nor SCO have responded to CBC's questions about the incident.

Ottawa police spokesperson Julie Kavanagh said Thursday the incident is still under investigation, and no charges have been laid.

In a Facebook post last week, Daniels apologized and said he's seeking treatment for alcohol use.

"The past few weeks have been a wake-up call, and I recognize the need for change in my lifestyle," Daniels wrote in the post, vowing to "be the leader you all deserve."

"Just like anyone who faces the shame of having personal struggles laid bare, I wish I had been honest sooner about my challenges with alcohol," he wrote.

Daniels said in the post he was proposing a restorative justice model to "resolve the incident that occurred," but he did not go into details about that incident. 

In its Thursday morning statement, the Southern Chiefs' Organization said its chiefs' executive committee, CEO and two knowledge keepers recently met with Daniels and look forward to welcoming him back early next month. 

Daniels acknowledged in his Facebook post that "an apology is not enough to repair the harm I've caused." 

"That can only be done through meaningful action," he wrote. 

"To that end, I am committing to a treatment plan that includes both traditional ceremony and an alcohol treatment program," Daniels said in the post. 

Daniels also said he's also committed to maintaining close contact with the chiefs' executive committee to set up "regular check-ins" to hold him accountable on his progress.

CBC News reached out to Daniels Thursday evening about the post, but hasn't received a reply. 

Daniels was first elected as SCO's grand chief in 2017. He was acclaimed for a second term in 2020 and re-elected this past June.