Court proceeding to challenge FNFTA

Sawridge First Nation and Onion Lake Cree Nation have requested that court proceedings initiated by the federal government be delayed. Their arguments will be heard in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench on Aug. 19 and 20. In a notice of application to federal court, the government said that eight First Nations failed or refused to comply with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which came into effect in 2013, despite ample time and “repeated demands” by the minister of Aboriginal affairs. Sawridge First Nation and Onion Lake Cree Nation are among those that have not complied. The court application by the two First Nations questions the legality of the FNFTA, claiming it violates treaty and Aboriginal rights as well as sections of the Constitution that ban discrimination and entrench the rights of Aboriginal people. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said that non-compliance will result in the loss of funding for non-essential services effective Sept. 1, 2015.