SaskatchewanA group of First Nation chiefs and councillors who met in Saskatoon Friday accuse the leadership of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations of refusing to address allegations of mismanagement.Forensic audit was ordered after allegations about Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations financesJeremy Warren · CBC News · Posted: Sep 26, 2025 5:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoSaskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand speaks to media on Friday about an audit of Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations finances that flagged $34 million in questionable spending. (Chanss Lagaden/CBC)First Nation leaders in Saskatchewan are demanding answers from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations over allegations of financial mismanagement and a forensic audit that flagged $34 million in questionable expenses.On Friday, a group of First Nation chiefs and councillors held a news conference in Saskatoon, where they accused the federation’s leadership of refusing to address the allegations and the audit’s results.”This money belongs to the people, to the grassroots people, and it’s there to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand.”We need accountability, we need transparency immediately,” Arcand said. “We should be having emergency meetings right now to implement these recommendations to improve the credibility of the FSIN.”Earlier this week, Indigenous Services Canada released a summary report of a forensic audit it launched after receiving allegations about lack of transparency and inappropriate expenditures at the federation, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.Indigenous Service retained the firm 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.”Many of these transactions happened over COVID, a time when our people were dying, a time when our hospitals were full, our nurses were overworked, our families were isolated and our children unable to go to school,” said Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Chief Kelly Wolfe.In addition to the COVID-19 spending, the report contains findings related to eight other allegations of inappropriate transactions in areas ranging from travel expenses to the use of administration fees.Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron, second from left, at a news conference in Saskatoon in June. At Friday’s news conference in Saskatoon, a group of First Nation chiefs and councillors accused the federation’s leadership of refusing to address the audit’s results. (Alexander Quon/CBC)The report advises the federation to review and strengthen its policies on procurement, hiring, accounting practices and expense approvals.CBC has reached out to the federation for comment on this story.”At what point do the RCMP get involved?” said Wolfe. “What we want is answers from the [federation’s] executive. Their silence speaks volumes.”The federation’s executive leadership consists of Chief Bobby Cameron, First Vice-Chief David Pratt, Second Vice-Chief Dutch Lerat, Third Vice-Chief Fabian Head and Fourth Vice-Chief Craig McCallum.Wolfe said some of the female leadership within the federation had been warning others about alleged financial mismanagement in the organization.”Nobody was listening,” Wolfe told reporters. “They were shunned and locked out of their office.”White Bear First Nation Coun. Savannah Standingready said Indigenous youth and women are often sidelined in First Nations politics.”We need to lead the way for the younger generation, for the women who were shunned, the women who were put in uncomfortable positions [and] did not have a voice,” Standingready said.Indigenous people are constantly made to “prove our worth just to get funding,” and a spending scandal doesn’t help, said Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation Coun. Desiree Dreaver.”Just when we get a little bit ahead, something like this happens,” Dreaver said, while calling on the federation’s leadership to improve transparency.”Have that courage, step forward, apologize, own up to your mistakes, be accountable. You owe us that because now we, as Indigenous people, are set back once again.”ABOUT THE AUTHORJeremy Warren is a reporter in Saskatoon. You can reach him at jeremy.warren@cbc.ca.
Sask. First Nations leaders demand answers from FSIN over audit into $34M of questionable spending
