Saskatchewan Briefs - May

Families sue for handling of 9-1-1 call

The families of Kerry Canepotatoe and Melissa Rabbitskin are filing a lawsuit against the RCMP and the provincial government after the women found themselves stranded on a back road in April 2010.

The two cousins were traveling to Island Lake First Nation along with Rabbitskin’s two children when the car swerved off the road.

After making various calls to 9-1-1 on a dying cell phone, the dispatcher failed to respond and chose not the send any type of assistance to the women.

Canepotatoe started walking along the back roads to get help but soon died of exposure. After her body was found approximately three days later, a search followed in which Rabbitskin and her two children were located alive in the car.

The lawsuits contend that the roads were not marked as being closed to traffic, as they should have been by the Saskatchewan Department of Highways.

The RCMP made a public apology to the families in Sept. 2010, stating they did not live up to their standards and vowed to make changes as to how calls are handled.

Court hears case of former VP of finance at FNUC

The former Vice-President of Finance for the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC), Wesley R. Stevenson, is now on trial for allegedly defrauding the university of an amount over $5000 between Jan 2003 to March 2005.
Stevenson was one of the three administrators at FNUC who were suspended by Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Vice Chief Morley Watson in Feb. 2005 after which a forensic audit ensued. The situation resulted in a myriad of problems at the university for several years afterward.

Police were notified three months after the suspensions and launched a two-year investigation that resulted in Stevenson being charged for the criminal offence in May 2008.

More details on Stevenson’s case—including the amount of alleged fraud—will be released on June 9, when he is also expected to enter a plea.

FSIN Chief congratulates Conservatives

A majority ruling of Conservatives in the May 2 federal election means a stable government leading the country in the next four years, stated Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Chief Guy Lonechild in a press release.

“Canada’s political landscape shifted overnight ushering in a new era of change in Ottawa but the needs of First Nations in Saskatchewan remain the same,” said Chief Lonechild, adding that he sends his congratulations to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“Prime Minister Harper and his cabinet have the power to make positive change in the lives of First Nation people,” he further stated. “I also wish to congratulate Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan in his re-election.”

The release stated that the governments have been working together on providing new investments in education and economic outcomes.

Chief Lonechild said that he looks forward to a strong relationship paying dividends for a Children and Youth First Agenda in Sask. and working on these crucial objectives in the years to come.