Steven “Talking Bear” Amaro alleges the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA) has not been met by the Chief and Council of Walpole Island First Nation (WIFN). “We want self government but we want checks and balances as well,” Amaro said Tuesday, following the first court hearing into his lawsuit. “We've asked repeatedly (for the documents),” Amaro said “And we're always met with the same responses that they're doing an audit but it's such a mess that they cannot provide or publish these documents. This is not the first case of a resident taking its First Nation leadership to court over financial transparency. In 2017, Charmaine Stick successfully argued for a court order forcing the leaders of Onion Lake Cree Nation to publish their financial documents online.

Source: Daily Nation June 21, 2023 00:10 UTC