After the Assembly of First Nations91裸聊视频� national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
91裸聊视频淚t must have been a generic response,91裸聊视频� Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in an interview, calling the entire experience 91裸聊视频渉umiliating91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渦nbelievable.91裸聊视频�
Woodhouse Nepinak said in a social media post Thursday (April 25) that her headdress and its case were taken away and put in a garbage bag.
She clarified Friday the case was removed from the flight, but she was able to hold her headdress throughout the trip after pleading with staff.
Air Canada said in a statement Friday morning that it reached out directly to Woodhouse Nepinak to apologize and 91裸聊视频渂etter understand91裸聊视频� her experience. It added it is also following up on the matter internally and reviewing its policies.
During the flight from Fredericton to Montreal on Wednesday, the national chief said an Air Canada staff member approached her and said: 91裸聊视频淵ou can91裸聊视频檛 have that in here.91裸聊视频�
Woodhouse Nepinak said she told them she wouldn91裸聊视频檛 part with her headdress.
Still, the crew took it and its case and put garbage bags around them, she said, before she managed to convince them that her headdress should be taken back out.
Photos Woodhouse Nepinak posted online show the case covered in a clear plastic bag, with staff members hauling it on the tarmac to be loaded under the plane.
91裸聊视频淚 was kind of stunned at that moment,91裸聊视频� she recounted.
91裸聊视频淭here was lots of Canadians trying to help me in that moment and realizing they shouldn91裸聊视频檛 be handling my items like that.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭his was a mistake that I know Air Canada is looking into right now,91裸聊视频� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said about the incident during an unrelated news conference Friday in Bromont, Que.
91裸聊视频淚t is an unfortunate situation that I hope is going to lead to a bit of learning 91裸聊视频� not just by Air Canada, but a lot of different institutions.91裸聊视频�
Trudeau said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission91裸聊视频檚 94 calls to action should prompt industry and Canadians to be responsible partners who have a sense of understanding about the cultural importance of items such as this.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters in Toronto that he met with Woodhouse Nepinak by chance at an airport in Montreal shortly after the incident, and she shared with him how she felt 91裸聊视频渄isrespected.91裸聊视频�
He said he supports calls from the national chief for a policy to ensure a situation like this never happens again, and added there are 91裸聊视频渇ar too many91裸聊视频� examples of Indigenous Peoples being disrespected.
The grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Alvin Fiddler called the ordeal 91裸聊视频渟hameful.91裸聊视频�
And Cody Thomas, the grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, said he is 91裸聊视频渄eeply concerned and disappointed.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t is essential that employees are educated about the diverse cultures and traditions of the passengers they serve to ensure that such incidents are never repeated,91裸聊视频� Thomas said in a statement.
Air Canada said it is looking to learn from the 91裸聊视频渞egrettable incident91裸聊视频� and ensure 91裸聊视频渟pecial items such as this91裸聊视频� can consistently remain in the cabin with travellers.
91裸聊视频淎ir Canada understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance,91裸聊视频� the statement says.
91裸聊视频淚n the past the chiefs have been able to travel while transporting their headdress in their cases in the cabin, but this time the case was difficult to carry in the cabin due to stowage space limitations on the Dash-8 aircraft.91裸聊视频�
Woodhouse Nepinak called her headdress one of the highest honours First Nations peoples can receive, noting it91裸聊视频檚 not something that can just be purchased in a store.
91裸聊视频淲hen I wear it, I91裸聊视频檓 representing and speaking for our people,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淭aking it out there (on the plane) and having all these different people handling it 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 not the way we handle our items. 91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 a respect thing.91裸聊视频�
Asked why she decided to speak publicly about the incident, Woodhouse Nepinak said this situation isn91裸聊视频檛 one she wants to be in, but 91裸聊视频淐reator put it on my lap to go through, and I91裸聊视频檓 walking through it hoping that we come out of this better.91裸聊视频�
She said she spoke with the president and CEO of the airline on Friday morning and told him they need to do better, including by appointing a First Nations person to their board.
She also wants them to have cross-cultural training for staff.
Woodhouse Nepinak said she expects to meet with Air Canada again about the saga and is inviting the person who made the headdress for her to come along.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
