Thunderchild First Nation, federal government duel in court
- Fraser Needham | December 06, 2014
The Thunderchild First Nation is taking the Harper government to task for putting the band under third party management.
Both sides met in a Saskatoon courtroom on Dec. 3.
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs has made the move as a result of the Thunderchild band’s refusal to sign its contribution funding agreement.
Thunderchild says it won’t sign because the terms of the CFA are continually being changed by the government without proper consultation.
The courtroom was packed and one of the spectators on hand was Assembly of First Nations leadership candidate Ghislain Picard.
He says the unilateral manner in which the Harper government approaches funding agreements leaves bands like Thunderchild little choice but to take the government to court.
“Otherwise, what’s the other option,” he asks. “Year after year, it’s like having a gun to your head in terms of the government saying, ‘Well, this is where you sign or you don’t get your money,’ I mean that’s no way to maintain a relationship with the government.”
Picard also says the fiscal relationship between the government and First Nations needs to be reset.
“We need to review the whole fiscal relationship with government and do it as partners, as equals and as nations. This is definitely not the case.”
Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox was also in attendance to show his support.
Onion Lake has also refused to sign its CFA.
Fox says the federal government has no basis for putting the Thunderchild band under third party management.
“With third party management and the way the department’s and the understanding we have is if there are financial difficulties, irregularities and everything but Thunderchild was not in that situation,” he says.
He adds the case could be precedent setting.
“I believe Thunderchild has done their homework and their legal counsel and their technical people, I believe they’re going to win.”
Under third party management, federal funds are still transferred but they are administered by an official appointed by Aboriginal Affairs.