Shauna Fontaine took to social media after an open letter was sent to the Manitoba Assembly of Leaders (AMC) calling on the organization to launch an investigation into the behavior of Grand Leader Arlen Dumas. Dumas was suspended in March pending a job search launched by the AMC following a complaint by Fontaine, a senior member of the organization. Fontaine said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that she wanted the AMC to be more supportive of the victims, after advocates called on the organization to launch a more thorough investigation into Duma’s behavior. Fontaine, a member of the Sagkeeng First Nation, identified herself as the woman who filed a complaint with the workplace in March against Dumas. Fontaine, who was not available for interview on Thursday, claims she was harassed, sexually assaulted and assaulted by Dumas and lived in fear of losing her job because she brought her concerns to AMC, where both she and Dumas work. “I fell victim to this man, a man in power, a protected man,” Fontaine said on Facebook. “In my heart, speaking was and will always be the right thing to do.” Fontaine said she also lodged a complaint with the Winnipeg Police Department (WPS). WPS has previously stated that an event number has been created. Dumas, contacted by CTV News for comment, has not been charged and none of the allegations have been tried in court. It remains suspended by the AMC and will face a vote of no confidence once the workplace investigation into Fontaine’s complaint is completed. But Fontaine is not happy with the way it is conducted. “I do not feel supported by the process that has been undertaken,” he said. “I learn what happens through research updates, just like the public, through news releases, without ever getting in touch with me or my legal representation.” Earlier this week, attorneys sent an open letter to AMC, to which Fontaine added her name, asking for an independent committee of inquiry into Duma’s behavior, which is aware of the trauma, co-developed and co-authored by AMC and advocates for victims. Sandra DeLaronde, the main signatory of the letter, said it was because other women had complained about Dumas’s behavior. “We wanted this to happen where they are supported and recognized by AMC,” DeLaronde said in an interview. DeLaronde, a former co-chair of the Coalition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Manitoba, said she was concerned Fontaine felt she had to show up to support other victims. “Now that it has appeared on behalf of other victims, there should be no reason why AMC should not request an independent investigation,” DeLaronde said. In a statement on Tuesday, AMC said it was complying with legal obligations in the workplace to ensure that the investigation was conducted in a fair and impartial manner. “As independent workplace research is currently under way, AMC can not take any action that would jeopardize its legal obligations in relation to research,” AMC said. Fontaine believes AMC could be more supportive of those who make claims. “My name is now officially public,” he said. “And I encourage AMC to accept the opportunity for support from a therapeutic centered lens that informs about the injury.” AMC has acknowledged that several supporters have offered assistance in the process and that the organization appreciates their intentions. He said more information would be made public at the end of the investigation. According to the AMC, the investigation is nearing completion and the researcher’s report is expected to be presented to its staff and finance committee by the end of this month.
