The appeal court ruling didn’t go in Charmaine Stick’s favour this time. About 4 years ago she took the Onion Lake Cree Nation to court to have its finances made public with the courts ruling in her favour in the original case and in her favour for the appeal. Then, she had to do the same thing all over again when she was refused access for the next year’s finances. She won the original round of that battle. More recently, the appeal went in the Onion Lake Cree Nation leadership’s favour.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has been assisting Charmaine Stick with this legal battle. Prairie Director Todd MacKay explains the court’s appeal decision was over technicalities in the process. He stresses though that all governments need to be financially transparent and the same holds true for First Nations through the federal government’s First Nations Financial Transparency Act.

MacKay says they are now regrouping to see what comes next, like possibly sending a message to federal leaders saying it’s not good enough to turn a blind eye on accountability, leaving people like Charmaine Stick on their own when the law is already in the books.

MacKay notes that keeping information hidden is not the belief of all First Nations. He points to Harrison Thunderchild whose grandfather was Chief of the Thunderchild First Nation. Harrison Thunderchild took his First Nation to court a few years ago to have the financials released. MacKay says Harrison is adamant that transparency and accountability is a part of his culture, and part of the principles and heritage that he learned from his grandfather.

The First Nations Transparency Act was put in place by the Conservative Stephen Harper government, and then when the Liberal government came into power, decided not to enforce it, and suspended a provision that would have allowed Ottawa to withhold funds to any band that fails to publish their financial statements