Earlier this week, CBC reported that they had received a leaked copy of an audit performed by Deloitte on the management of the Attawapiskat First Nation. The audit of the management control framework showed that of 500 band transactions the firm researched during the period from 2005–2011, 400 of them had no supporting documentation.
Naturally, critics of the Idle No More movement (and Therea Spence’s fasting efforts) latched onto the leaked report, citing incompetence of band leaders and calling for their heads.
One thing to keep in mind is that this audit did not find proof of financial mismanagement or corruption. The federal government initiated this audit because they claimed Attawapiskat leaders could not account for $90+ million they had received in federal spending during that period.
As far as finances go, this audit only found lack of documentation, and as we all know lack of evidence is not proof itself. The only thing this proves is that at least 400 band transactions are missing documentation. Nothing more.
With that being said, we should note that of those 400 transactions, only 31 of them occurred during Spence’s term as chief. In fact, under her term, reporting and management processes have actually improved.
If you’re interested in knowing the truth, it is always better to go to the source. The problem with traditional media is they have a tendency to try to sell stories, and as such slant their stories. (For example, not a single traditional media outlet has mentioned that reporting under Spence has improved.) As such, visit the Attawapiskat First Nation website to see over 30 financial documents dating back to 2005. See for yourself if Attawapiskat is hiding anything.
