Trudeau calls treatment of national chief ‘unacceptable’
Airline made AFN leader part with ceremonial headdress case on flight
Justin Trudeau joined federal ministers in calling out Air Canada after the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations was forced to part with her ceremonial headdress case on a flight Wednesday.
At a press conference on Friday, Trudeau called the airline’s treatment of AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak “unacceptable” after it made her take her headdress out of its ceremonial case before storing the case in the baggage compartment in a plastic bag.
“This was a mistake that I know Air Canada is looking into right now, but from my perspective, it is an unfortunate situation that I hope is going to lead to a bit of learning not just by Air Canada, but a lot of different institutions,” Trudeau said.
Woodhouse Nepinak told the Star on Friday the situation was humiliating and she was concerned her sacred belongings would be damaged by the airline. The case and headdress are culturally significant for Indigenous Peoples and are an honour for individuals who receive them.
“You never think that you take your headdress on (a plane) and it’s gonna end up in a garbage bag,” Woodhouse Nepinak said.
She said she was shaken up and stunned after the incident on Wednesday, and reached out to Air Canada before she made a post on social media. She said the airline sent her a 15 per cent discount.
“I’m like, oh, man, these people don’t get it,” she said.
Woodhouse Nepinak posted on Facebook on Thursday detailing what happened on the Air Canada flight from Fredericton to Montreal the day before. She shared photos showing Air Canada officials taking the ceremonial buckskin case and placing it in a plastic bag before carrying it outside of the plane.
An email sent to the Star by Air Canada’s media team said while First Nations chiefs have been able to travel with headdresses in the cabin in the past, “this time the case could not be carried in the cabin due to stowage space limitations on the Dash-8 aircraft.”
They said the headdress itself remained with Chief Woodhouse while the case was stored in the baggage compartment in plastic to protect it from rain. Air Canada said it is reviewing its policies as a result of this “regrettable incident.”
Air Canada also said it’s reached out directly to Woodhouse Nepinak “to better understand and apologize for her experience,” and it understands “the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance.”
Woodhouse Nepinak said while she has since spoken with Air Canada’s president on the phone, but she has not received any formal written apology.
She said she is planning to meet with the president next week and has called on him for solutions, including having a mandatory First Nations member on their board of directors, a protocol for First Nations people and their sacred items, cultural training for their staff, a face-to-face meeting with Elders and an apology.
“Sometimes these things happen, and they’re unfortunate, but at the same time, sometimes they’re teaching moments for our country to figure out how to work better, figure out that we can all be better,” she said.
Woodhouse Nepinak also said this is a bigger issue for First Nations, mentioning calls she has had from other chiefs who expressed similar experiences or fears.
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree responded to Woodhouse Nepinak’s social media post on X, formerly Twitter, and said he had connected with her to relay how outraged he was by her experience.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time ceremonial items have been treated improperly. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and I expect Air Canada to make this right,” he wrote.
At a press conference Friday, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he ran into Woodhouse Nepinak in the Montreal airport after the incident.
“In a country like Canada, there are far too many examples where Indigenous Peoples are disrespected in this manner,” Singh said.
“I support her call for a national policy to ensure on any airline and any form of travel that this type of incident never happens again.”
Also at the press conference was NDP MP and member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation Leah Gazan, who said it’s the airline’s responsibility to ensure anyone working for it is culturally competent and knows proper cultural protocols “whether it’s with Indigenous people or all other peoples in this country.”
Since receiving her headdress in January from the Piikani Nation in Alberta, Woodhouse Nepinak has worried about receiving a hard time from airlines while travelling with her headdress and its case.
“I don’t want to feel like that anymore.”
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You never think that you take your headdress on (a plane) and it’s gonna end up in a garbage bag.
CHIEF CINDY WOODHOUSE NEPINAK