Sahtu beneficiaries call for forensic audit of their trust fund

Some Sahtu beneficiaries are calling for greater accountability in how the Sahtu land trust fund is managed.

For years, several of the beneficiaries have raised concerns about the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. (SSI), which is made up of representatives from the seven Sahtu land corporations and a chair. In a recent email to the SSI board obtained by CBC News, lawyer Richard Hardy outlines his concerns over how the fund is managed.

The April 18 email was written by Hardy, who is a past president of the MtisAssociation of the N.W.T.and is currently the Fort Norman Mtisrepresentative on the board. The issue, according to Hardy, is that land corporation presidents also act as SSI directors and represent the financial corporations that approveSSIbudgets.

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He called this the "gang of seven."

"This is how we have got ourselves into the difficulties that we are in," he stated.

Lawyer calls for more oversight into spending

Hardy pointed to recent financial statements, calling into question $343,500 in management expenses out of the $6 million budget.

He also raised issue with $249,798 being taken from the Sahtu Master Land Agreement trust for "beneficiary programs" calling the amount "outrageous."

To address the issue, Hardy stated SSI should require approval from trustees who sit at arm's-length from the board to access trust funds.

It's almost like acting as if they're dictators.- Raymond Yakeleya

But he stated a motion was raised to that affect at last year's annual general meeting and the "gang of seven" wouldn't even allow it to be debated.

Hardy declined to speak with the CBC on the subject.

Raymond Yakeleya is a critic of how the trust is managed. He's a member of the Tulita Dene band who lives in Alberta. He said there's a lack of transparency and a seeming unwillingness on the part of the SSI executive to address these concerns.

"It's divided family.Nothing has divided the people so much as what's happened now because we can't get clean and clear answers," said Yakeleya.

Yakeleya said one issue is that beneficiaries have less voting power than in the past. According to Yakeleya and other beneficiaries CBC spoke to, only land corporation presidents are able to vote at meetings, while in the past, five members from each corporation could have a say.

Beneficiaries say they didn't approve that change.

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"All of a sudden now they feel they can manipulate the vote, they can change the rules and all we're to do is look on at them," Yakeleya said.

"It's almost like acting as if they're dictators."

'A whole mess' to clean up, says former chief

Yakeleya said he wants a forensic audit into the trust and for people to be held accountable if any mismanagement is found. He also said he's supportive of having arm's-length trustees.

Former Fort Good Hope Chief Ronald Pierrot agrees there are issues with leadership and how money is managed. He says he wants a forensic audit as well.

"It's a whole mess that we're trying to clean up and it's been going on for some time," said Pierrot.

Pierrot also said he would like to see Sahtu leadership work together on long-term plans for housing, education and business opportunities for Indigenous people.

"This claim was supposed to benefit the beneficiaries but it's not doing that," he said.

CBC asked several members of SSI'sleadershipfor comment on this story, but didn't receive any by Thursday morning.

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