2 First Nation councillors resign after woman targeted in 'vile' online chat goes public

Two elected councillors on a First Nation in Nova Scotia have resigned after screenshots surfaced of an online chat group they belonged to that included sexually derogatory references to women in the community and remarks relishing non-consensual sex.

Screenshots of the Facebook chats were made public last weekend by Tia Googoo, a member of Millbrook First Nation, who said she was given access to them a few weeks ago by a friend who was a member of the group and apologized to her. 

The chat included derogatory comments about Googoo, other women and her mother, Robin Tomah, who in 2001 was attacked outside her home and severely burned. There were sexually explicit comments referencing her burns. Googoo said the messages were "vile."

"I was extremely hurt," Googoo, 27, said in an interview. "My heart broke for my mother, my heart broke for all the other women they're degrading, they're objectifying, sexualizing."

Millbrook First Nation confirmed in a statement Tuesday evening that it had accepted the resignations of Garrett Gloade and Pius Knockwood, the two councillors who the band said were members of the chat.

The statement said RCMP were investigating. The community has been "shaken," the statement said, and the "activity in the group chat victimized many and has been devastating to read."

In all, it appears roughly 20 men were part of the chat group. Googoo said many of them were her longtime friends, or friends of family members. The chat was active for about a year, Googoo said, but she only captured messages from September 2024 to this March.

"I rethought the entirety of all our friendships of 20 years," Googoo said. "'What did I do, what did I do to them to deserve this? What did these women do to deserve this?' Ultimately, I couldn't find a reason why."

Millbrook Chief Bob Gloade declined to comment to CBC News, but said in an earlier Facebook post the messages were "demeaning and disparaging towards women, men, elders and our 2SLGBTQIA+ population."

"I want to assure you that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and it's not a reflection of our leadership or our community as a whole," he said in the post. 

"This situation is being taken very seriously and there will be formal and swift consequences for the misconduct of those affiliated with the Millbrook Band Council and Administration."

Garrett Gloade, who was first elected in 2022 and won re-election this fall, said in a post on social media that he apologized "for my actions and contributions to the most recent events that have been circulating."

It's not the first time Gloade has been in trouble while on band council. Two years ago, he was suspended without pay for three months after an internal investigation found he'd sexually harassed a band employee.

Gloade subsequently challenged the suspension in court. The case was discontinued last year, but court records do not give a reason.

In his post, which appears to have been taken down, he suggested he was the group creator. Screenshots taken by Googoo list Gloade as the creator of the group, which was titled J-Denn Pallbearers.

"The intentions started as a place to keep my late brother's memory alive. But, have taken an awful turn and I take responsibility for my part in that," the post said.

Neither Gloade nor Knockwood replied to requests for comment from CBC News.

Googoo said the chat group included members sharing intimate images of her without her consent. Images of other women were shared as well, she said.

In one message in the online chat, Knockwood said, "Pass out sex is the best eh..when there passed out," and in another referenced a woman who was "all pilled out." He also made an explicit remark about Tomah's burns. On another occasion, two group members talked about slapping or punching a woman to wake her up.

Googoo said there's been an outpouring of support for her since she posted the screenshots to social media. Among those in her corner, she said, have been a number of Millbrook band councillors who she called "amazing."

"I just hope that communities, you know, community members will speak up if they hear misconduct and if there's abuse of power," she said.

"Use your voice. Don't let that slide because these people are supposed to represent us. They're supposed to represent our community, our families, our children."

Broader message

Karen Bernard, the first vice-president of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, said the group opened its "resiliency centre" in Millbrook on Sunday for anyone seeking support.

The group chat messages fall under the umbrella of gender-based violence, she said, and they should act as a warning to people to recognize that what they view as jokes could be "part of some system where they are degrading others."

"My takeaway to people: practise kindness, be respectful, rethink who you are, and re-evaluate yourself before you get yourself into a situation you do not want to be part of," she said Wednesday.

In a statement, a Nova Scotia RCMP spokesperson said officers are investigating "all aspects" of the group chat, including the comments and "how people outside of the group chat learned about it."

Part of the work is to ascertain whether anyone has been victimized criminally, and to promote awareness and supports, the statement said. No charges have been laid.