AMC grand chief taking leave ‘to heal,’ repeats denial of impropriety with young woman

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/07/2019 (1995 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the wake of allegations earlier this week that he sent more than a dozen inappropriate messages by text and on Facebook to a Winnipeg woman, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas announced Friday he is taking "a brief leave of absence from his role to heal."

In a press release, Dumas claimed allegations of impropriety are false. Without naming her in his statement, Dumas admitted he had communicated with Bethany Maytwayashing to provide "advice and guidance on her path forward."

He apologized publicly if his "open and informal communication style" made the woman or anyone else feel uncomfortable.

"These allegations are entirely false. I did not pursue a relationship of an intimate nature with this woman. I was asked by her for advice and guidance on her path forward. I provided assistance to the best of my professional ability. I messaged her to follow up. I do this on a regular basis with numerous community members, students, and colleagues who often seek out my support," Dumas said in his statement.

In the same press release, the AMC said Dumas has faced "unthinkable tragedy and hardship" in the last few years and will now be taking "active steps to receive counselling for his losses and also to engage in professional sensitivity training so his future communications follow a more formal communication style."

Dumas lost his 18-year-old son on March 3 to complications from cystic fibrosis, and he is separated from his wife.

Earlier this week, Maytwayashing’s boyfriend posted a series of text messages on social media attributed to Dumas’s phone number that asked her to guess the sender’s identity, and to meet.

On July 3, Maytwayashing received about a dozen messages from a Facebook account with the name Charles Forbes, challenging her to figure out who was on the other end. The account mentioned encounters and personal details about her and said, "sometimes, I have feathers in my hair," a reference to a headdress, a symbol of leadership in many First Nations communities.

When Maytwayashing guessed it was Dumas, the sender said yes, and asked to meet up. She received a text message from the phone number Dumas has used in numerous interviews with the Free Press.

Dumas reiterated his denials from earlier this week in his statement Friday. He said he "never operated a fake Facebook account called Charles Forbes," calling the accusation "a manufactured political smear." He said he has reported it to Facebook and to a third-party firm, which he did not identify, to find out who is responsible.

Maytwayashing, who could not be reached for comment Friday, told the Free Press in an earlier interview that Dumas’s denials are not believable.

"Honestly, it’s not credible," she said Wednesday. "This guy knew a lot about me, and (at first) I thought, maybe it’s not Arlen, and I was getting really creeped out."

Dumas, in his mid-40s, and Maytwayashing, 22, met more than a year ago when Dumas had lunch at Feast Cafe Bistro on Ellice Avenue, her workplace. Maytwayashing said she and Dumas crossed paths on May 27 at a child-welfare rally. A month later, she received the text messages.

As grand chief, Dumas represents all 63 First Nations in Manitoba and negotiates with federal ministers. The AMC’s 31st annual general meeting is set for the end of July in Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, and Dumas’s political future could be on the line.

Chief Sheldon Kent of Black River First Nation is replacing Dumas during his leave.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca

— with files from Dylan Robertson