Edmonton police charge Tsuut’ina Nation Chief with two counts of sexual assault

Screenshot, Tsuutina Nation website

Edmonton police have charged 71-year-old Tsuut’ina Nation Chief Roy Whitney with sexual assault in relation to alleged offences against two men decades ago.

In a Thursday news release, EPS said that the first offence had allegedly occurred in the early months of 1994, when a 33-year-old male was sexually assaulted “in the area of 178 Street and 87 Avenue in Edmonton.”

The second offence is alleged to have occurred in “the summer of 2005,” police said, when a 38-year-old male was sexually assaulted in the area of Stony Plain Road and 178 Street in Edmonton.

Police say they were initially alerted to the 1994 incident in November 2024. As they investigated, they became aware of the 2005 incident and launched a separate investigation into that incident in May of this year.

Whitney was arrested by Edmonton police on Wednesday and charged with two counts of sexual assault.

The complainants, who are both from Tsuut’ina Nation, are known to the suspect but unknown to one another.

Whitney is denying the allegations of sexual assault.

In a statement addressed to the Tsuut’ina community, he says the criminal allegations against him are false and he intends to continue on in his role as chief.

“I will fully cooperate with any lawful proceedings to ensure the facts are made clear,” reads the statement. “Until that time, I ask our citizens and the public to withhold judgment and avoid speculation.”

Whitney has served a dozen non-consecutive terms as chief of the nation that lies on Calgary’s southwest city limits. He was first elected in the 1980s and was most recently re-elected in November 2022.

Edmonton police also said there may be additional complainants and are asking anyone who believes they have been victimized by the accused to reach out to them at at 780-423-4567 or by dialing #377 from a mobile phone.

Tsuu’tina Nation is located on Calgary’s southwest city limits.