The Okanagan Nation Alliance says it will only further traumatize six Syilx women after Donald Ashley appealed a 2024 assault conviction.
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The Okanagan Nation Alliance has condemned the sentencing appeal of Donald Ashley, a former Indigenous healer convicted of assault in 2024.
The alliance says six Syilx women came forward in 2022 alleging they were sexually assaulted by Ashley during traditional healing sessions.
In the 2024 trial, a jury acquitted Ashley on all counts of sexual assault but convicted him on a single count of assault. Ashley received a two-year probation sentence.
The alliance says it will only further traumatize the women and their families as the appeal proceeds. Penticton Indian Band Chief Greg Gabriel said the appeal would “re-triggers all of the hurt and pain” from the case.
Ashley’s defence lawyer Mark Nohra said the Okanagan Nation Alliance is not accepting the verdict and that it is a “total disregard for the criminal justice system.” Nohra also said Ashley’s reputation has been “ruined.”
Nohra said Ashley is appealing the assault conviction’s sentence, asking that it be substituted with a conditional discharge so his criminal record can be erased at some point.
University of Victoria Indigenous law professor David Milward said the alliance’s position is understandable given the trust placed in Indigenous healers, and that sanctions must align with harm recognized for victims.
Ashley has been banned from all Syilx Okanagan Nation lands since March 2025. The sentencing appeal hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT in Kelowna on Friday.
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