SaskatchewanThe Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says it can’t fully respond to a scathing forensic audit without seeing the full report that flagged $34 million in “questionable” expenses.Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says it has ‘robust’ financial controlsJeremy Warren · CBC News · Posted: Oct 01, 2025 4:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoA file photo shows Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron speaking during a media event in Saskatoon in 2023. (Liam Richards/The Canadian Press)The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) says it can’t fully respond to a scathing forensic audit without seeing the full report that flagged $34 million in “questionable” expenses.But the organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan maintains it followed all policies, provided ample documentation to prove it and has a “robust system” of financial controls.Last week, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) released a summary report of the forensic audit it launched after receiving allegations about lack of transparency and inappropriate expenditures at FSIN.That led to a group of First Nations leaders demanding answers from FSIN leadership.The federation did not comment on the audit until Wednesday, when it issued a news release. It said it hoped to review the full audit report — not just the public summary — because it wanted more details about the allegations before responding.”ISC has not responded to multiple requests for the full report,” the FSIN news release said.An ISC spokesperson said on Wednesday that the department has not received a request from FSIN to provide them with a copy of the full report.”Consistent with our normal practice, the department does not provide copies of the reports to funding recipients as the information is deemed highly sensitive and may contain protected and/or personal information,” Anispiragas Piragasanathar said in an emailed statement.”The final summary report, which is posted to the department website, provides all publicly available information.”COVID-19 funding allegation addressedISC retained KPMG to conduct the audit. The most significant allegation the audit reviewed involved $30 million in COVID-19-related funding the federation received between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2023. The audit classified $23.5 million of related expenditures as questionable.The FSIN rejected the allegation that COVID-related spending was not documented.”Receipts and/or invoices were provided for every expenditure and it is unclear which items KPMG is alleging are incomplete,” the news release stated.Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron, second from left, at a news conference in Saskatoon in June. (Alexander Quon/CBC)The rapid — if at times chaotic — response to COVID-19 was needed to help First Nations across the province, the FSIN said. “The quick deployment of [personal protective equipment] conclusively reduced infections and saved lives — especially Elders and those with chronic conditions,” the FSIN stated.In addition to the COVID-19 spending, the audit summary report contained findings related to eight other allegations of inappropriate transactions in areas ranging from travel expenses to the use of administration fees.The FSIN attached to its news release a 10-page “fact sheet” that detailed its response to each allegation.The summary report advised the FSIN to review and strengthen its policies on procurement, hiring, accounting practices and expense approvals.WATCH | Audit highlights $34M of ‘questionable’ spending by FSIN: Audit highlights $34M of ‘questionable’ spending by FSINThe Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is being advised to review its policies on procurement, hiring, capital assets, accounting practices and expense approvals after a forensic audit of its books flagged $34 million in questionable transactions. The FSIN said not all First Nation governments and organizations are equipped to deal with wide-ranging audits and recommended Ottawa establish a First Nations auditor general.”This process seems intended to set them up for failure,” the FSIN said in the news release.”Systemic change is required as transparency and accountability should be a partnership that helps First Nations build capacity — not a series of hoops they must jump through that keep moving and shrinking.”CBC reached out to FSIN for further comment but did not receive a reply.The statement from the ISC said the department “has established procedures to ensure any allegations are examined properly, and that appropriate action is taken when required.”ABOUT THE AUTHORJeremy Warren is a reporter in Saskatoon. You can reach him at jeremy.warren@cbc.ca.
FSIN disputes findings of forensic audit, says all spending follows policies
