The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is holding its annual general meeting behind closed doors this week.
The two-day meeting has been open to news organizations in the past.
But Wednesday a sign was taped to the door barring reporters from entering.
AMC spokesman Andrew Thunder denied an APTN News reporter entry to the meeting.
He said AMC would broadcast a livestream of the proceedings instead.
Then he followed up with an email saying a video of the event would be posted to AMC’s Youtube channel later.
Signs on the door outside AMC’s annual general meeting (Beverly Andrews/APTN)
The meeting is being held at South Beach Casino & Resort on the Brokenhead Ojibwe Nation, about 30 minutes drive northwest of Winnipeg.
The group, which represents 62 First Nations in the province, has been weathering a three-week scandal involving its Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.
Dumas denied allegations last month he sent inappropriate texts to a 20-year-old woman.
AMC said Dumas would take a leave of absence to undergo counselling and professional sensitivity training to change his communication style.
But a photo tweeted by AMC Wednesday morning appeared to show Dumas leading the grand entry parade at the meeting in Brokenhead.
Two provincial Indigenous politicians – Judy Klassen (Lib.) and Wab Kinew (NDP) – are also in the photo.
An agenda of the meeting, a copy of which was obtained by APTN, still lists Sheldon Kent as acting grand chief.
APTN requested an interview with Kent.
More to come.
With files from Beverly Andrews
