Greetings to all from Sandy and Jen!
We are returning to Port Alberni from the afternoon on Sunday, January 22, 2023 to January 24, 2023 at noon to meet privately and confidentially with anyone who is willing to share their stories and/or information with us. As you know, the Panel of Inquiry has been set up to look into misconduct by public officials and we hope that more people will come forward to us with information to assist us in our inquiry.
We have arranged to meet with people in a private space, away from government offices and are available during the day and into the evenings to accommodate those with work and family commitments. We can assist with arranging emotional and/or cultural support for anyone who wants/needs it to assist them in coming forward. We can also assist with any other supports that people may need to assist them in meeting with us. We want to reassure everyone that the names of anyone who speaks to us and any information that we receive will remain strictly confidential.
Please reach out to us directly either by telephone or email:
Please reach out to us by phone or email:
Sandy Cunningham:
scunningham56@gmail.com | cell: 604-362-3207
Jen Dehoney:
jendehoney@gmail.com | cell: 604-671-8652
Mid 2022, Huu-ay-aht First Nations Executive Council directed that an inquiry be conducted into allegations of abuse of power committed by members of the government.
Executive Council approved terms of reference for the panel that will be appointed to conduct the Inquiry that includes both a mandate and outlines the powers of the Inquiry panel (these terms can be found on the Nations’ Public Notice page.)
After the Inquiry is completed and the panel has provided their report to the Huu-ay-aht government, the report will be made public according to the terms of the posted Inquiry Panel Terms of Reference.
The Inquiry panelists held two initial introduction meetings in both Anacla (October 5, 2022) and Port Alberni (October 6, 2022), inviting community members to learn more about the panelists and the inquiry process.
Questions can be directed to the Inquiry Panel at hfnpanel22@gmail.com .
HFN Inquiry Public Notices
All Public Notices are posted on our official Public Notice Page. This list only contains Public Notices pertaining to the inquiry panel and investigation as a courtesy please visit the official page for the most up to date Public Notice releases.
Public Notice – Inquiry Panel – EC and HC Statement – November 4, 2022
Public Notice -Inquiry Panel – Inquiry Panel Response to Resignation – November 2, 2022
Public Notice -Inquiry Panel – Notice of Resignation – October 28, 2022
Inquiry Panel Terms of Reference
Retirement Notification – May 6, 2022
Huu-ay-aht Statement on Allegations Involving Members of Executive Council
Recent Inquiry Panel News
Inquiry Panel Update February 14, 2023
Inquiry Panel Notice January 22, 2023
Inquiry Panel Notice January 8, 2023
Inquiry Panel Notice December 2022
Panelists
Sandra Cunningham is a member of the Mitha Law Group who specializes in workplace investigations in the public and private sectors. She was Crown Counsel for 30 years, where she focused on serious crimes such as murder, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. She was also a policy drafter and analyst in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault for the Ministry of Justice. Sandy has extensive experience in workplace investigations, including allegations of sexual misconduct and involving systemic issues leading to abuse and has worked internationally on projects to strengthen the criminal justice systems in Guyana, South America, and Ethiopia with an emphasis on violence against women. Sandy will take on the role of lead investigator.
Jennifer Dehoney is a member of the Missanabie Cree First Nation and is also of Irish descent. Most recently Jennifer’s work has been as a founding board member and team lead at Kilala Lelum, an Indigenous health and healing centre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She is a former pediatric physiotherapist, a certified health & wellness coach and has a masters degree in counselling psychology. Jennifer has over 18-years experience working with Indigenous communities in clinical, research and decolonizing-systems work and has been facilitating anti- Indigenous racism workshops for healthcare, education and non-profit teams for the past 5- years. Jennifer was honoured to work with Huu-ay-aht as the coordinator for the social services project panel and the social services project implementation task force.