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Police in Manitoba have arrested Lake St. Martin First Nation Chief Christopher Rodney Traverse following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving a child.
He was subsequently charged with sexual assault and sexual interference, as well as making and possessing child pornography.
In a statement, per APTN, the Winnipeg Police Service explained that the alleged offenses took place in late December 2023, and that the alleged victim is "an elementary-aged child." Traverse was taken into custody on February 1, but released soon after with the promise that he would appear in court. His next hearing is scheduled for July 3.
When members of the small community, 225km northwest of the provincial capital, heard the news, they called on Traverse to resign, however he has refused to budge.
Following a community meeting on March 22, a group of elders presented him with a letter urging him to step down within seven days "for the good of the community, for the good of the kids," or else they would "move forward in [his] removal from office" by signing a petition under the First Nations Election Act (FNEA).
As CBC News reports, while the deadline has passed, the council of Lake St. Martin First Nation has not provided an update as to whether or not the petition has been signed.
A petition is not the only way Traverse, who was elected in 2022, could lose his position. Under the FNEA, an official convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 30 days in jail is automatically kicked out of their seat.
Traverse has maintained that he is innocent, however, his attempts to persuade others have not been well received, including by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
In an interview with APTN, he said that when he reached out to them, he was told he was "on his own."
"There’s nothing in place for men in this society that are wrongfully accused of anything," he said, "and the door was shut on me."
He was subsequently charged with sexual assault and sexual interference, as well as making and possessing child pornography.
In a statement, per APTN, the Winnipeg Police Service explained that the alleged offenses took place in late December 2023, and that the alleged victim is "an elementary-aged child." Traverse was taken into custody on February 1, but released soon after with the promise that he would appear in court. His next hearing is scheduled for July 3.
When members of the small community, 225km northwest of the provincial capital, heard the news, they called on Traverse to resign, however he has refused to budge.
Following a community meeting on March 22, a group of elders presented him with a letter urging him to step down within seven days "for the good of the community, for the good of the kids," or else they would "move forward in [his] removal from office" by signing a petition under the First Nations Election Act (FNEA).
As CBC News reports, while the deadline has passed, the council of Lake St. Martin First Nation has not provided an update as to whether or not the petition has been signed.
A petition is not the only way Traverse, who was elected in 2022, could lose his position. Under the FNEA, an official convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than 30 days in jail is automatically kicked out of their seat.
Traverse has maintained that he is innocent, however, his attempts to persuade others have not been well received, including by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
In an interview with APTN, he said that when he reached out to them, he was told he was "on his own."
"There’s nothing in place for men in this society that are wrongfully accused of anything," he said, "and the door was shut on me."
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