Earlier this week, in response to a forensic audit finding $34.2 million in questionable and ineligible spending, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations released a ten-page set of ‘fact sheets’ to repair trust with its citizens.
The communique seems to speak out against the audit’s results, stating “When our institutions are drawn into distorted narratives, the impact is felt not only at an organizational level – it reverberates through the lives of our people. That is why issuing these Fact Sheets is essential: they will empower our people with truth and clarity, ensuring that political conflict does not overshadow our sovereignty and unity.”
Fact number one states that the FSIN is unmatched by any other organization in Canada when it comes to financial transparency and accountability. That page added that the audit was not neutral, but a rhetorical device used to threaten the Crown-First Nations Fiscal Relationship.
Several more of these said facts include that every dollar of Covid-19 PPE was accounted for with receipts, averaging about $48 per first nations person. However, the auditing body KPMG flagged over $23 million in questionable spending related to COVID-19, as it was unable to obtain receipts to confirm the eligibility of the purchases.
In the travel category, the FSIN states that all travel is pre-approved and supported with receipts, and duplicate claims were corrected immediately.
The list of facts went on, as did the public calls to “reject interference and reaffirm the strength of our collective governance.”
