The Saskatoon Tribal Council is continuing with its mission to hold the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations accountable for its history of alleged misspending.
A recent audit of the FSIN’s financial records from 2019 through 2024 found $34 million was spent on ‘unsupported’ and ‘ineligible’ measures such as new fleet vehicles, international trips, and COVID-19 assistance measures. The federal government has now ordered FSIN to pay back a $28.7 million portion of that money.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron has since called the forensic audit a political stunt, assuring the public that his organization is “transparent, responsive and accountable.” He has also threatened to take the matter to court. Speaking Monday morning from the STC Office, Chief of Thunderchild First Nation Delbert Wapasss maybe that’s not a half-bad idea.
“Maybe we should go to court, and that will give the federal government the excuse and the opportunity to look at all the books and to do a full accounting of the expenditures of the FSIN., because that’s what the court case will do.”
He believes that, to avoid its misuse, money from Indigenous Services Canada should no longer flow through the FSIN before reaching First Nations; it should be directly transferred.
Although he supports the further investigation of the FSIN’s record, STC Tribal Chief Mark Arcand doesn’t think that’s the best idea, because FSIN doesn’t have any own-sourced revenue.
“You say you’re going to go to court? With whose money? Who’s making that decision. The First Nations of Saskatchewan should not pay for this, at all.” He adds that the misspent money could have been allocated to far better causes, such as the homelessness crisis.
“I could have used $5 million of that to help more people build houses and make sure that they’re safe.”
Arcand is unsure of how the money will be paid back, however he does suggest a complete overhaul of the FSIN executive, most prominently, Chief Cameron.
Both Wapass and Arcand deny that there are any political motives behind their speaking out. Wapass was first to admit that he has no intentions of being Chief of FSIN.
“This is not politically motivated. I have a duty and a responsibility to the accountability of those leaders in the past that created what is called FSIN.”
He adds that the lack of transparency “has never been this bad. $28.7 million? I’m interested to see how that’s going to be recovered.”
The FSIN now has until April 2nd to offer additional information or dispute the audit’s conclusions, or else it will be ordered to cough up $28.7 million into the federal government’s hands.
