It has been brought to our attention that a board member of Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network (NSITEN), Mr. Joel Nathan Denny, stands accused of some horrendous crimes. As Mr. Denny was a member of the Indigenous tourism community, ITAC has taken immediate action. Mr. Denny has been removed from participating with the provincial Indigenous tourism board and banned from any ITAC initiatives.
Per recent news reports, Eskasoni RCMP has charged him with a number of offences relating to incidents that occurred between 2011 and 2019 in Eskasoni. An investigation identified three victims. On November 23, he was arrested without incident and charged with:
- Sexual Exploitation x 9
- Sexual Assault x 9
- Sexual Interference x 3
- Invitation to Sexual Touching x 3
Our hearts go out to the victims. In my role as President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, we have clear policies in place which condemn these actions. We will never tolerate violence of any kind or any type of sexual abuse. Anyone acting this way does not reflect the values of Indigenous people and should be held accountable. They certainly do not belong within our communities or our industry.
We urge any members who may have additional information to respond to the RCMP’s request to be contacted at 902-379-2822 (File #20191768588) or through their Facebook page.