Indigenous Services Canada says it’s launching a forensic audit of all money received by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, or FSIN, from the department going back to 2019.
“This letter is to inform you that that the Assessment and Investigation Services Branch of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will be conducting a forensic audit of funding provided to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations through the funding agreements in place between your organization and ISC,” said the letter addressed to Regional Chief Bobby Cameron on March 15. Cameron is the head of the FSIN – and regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
The letter from ISC to Cameron said the audit was being conducted “in accordance with the funding agreements.”
According to the federal government, a forensic audit is an examination “designed to identify and gather evidence to support an assessment of possible irregularities, including the misappropriation of funds or assets, reported fraud or specific allegations on the part of a recipient or an individual.”
ISC said the audit will be “reviewing expenditures related to all funding for the period covering April 1st, 2019 to current date. Note that the period of review is subject to change based on the findings of the audit.”
In a statement to APTN News, ISC said “Indigenous Services Canada is aware of the allegations brought forward regarding the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. Following a review of the allegations, Indigenous Services Canada is planning to conduct a forensic audit.
“The Department takes allegations and complaints regarding the misuse of public funds very seriously. To that end, the Department has put a process in place to ensure these allegations and complaints are examined properly and that appropriate action is taken.”
According to the federal government, the FSIN received $17.1 million between March 2020 and March 2023 from the Indigenous Community Support Fund which is administered by ISC. It’s not clear if any of this money is associated with the four programs being audited.
On Monday, the FSIN held a news conference to talk about bullying in school. Media were warned not to ask any “off topic” questions. At the end of the news conference, FSIN Vice Chief David Pratt was asked about the audit – and his reply was “no comment.”
The organization which represents 73 First Nations in Saskatchewan, also received approximately $5.2 million from other federal programs from 2019 to present day.
The government said KPMG is conducting the audit but no timeline was given.
