(Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada/Website)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Thunderchild Cases

Thunderchild leadership facing multiple court cases

Nov 12, 2024 | 5:12 PM

With last week’s announcement that Thunderchild First Nation was set to receive $155 million from the cows and plows settlement, two separate court cases are currently before the courts against Chief Delbert Wapass and council.

The first case’s notice of application was filed this past April and according to a release from Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada, “Members are challenging the Chief and Council to unilaterally fix low per capita distributions to membership arising from the Treaty 6 Agricultural Benefits settlement funds.”

This case, which BMAAAC is a co-applicant, also involves the council reportedly “Taking out of a loan in respect of their settlement funds, and other ongoing acts and omissions which unlawfully deny members access to justice.”

In total, the Nation is set to receive $155,400,000 in keeping with the original spirit of Treaties 4, 5, 6 and 10, which promised agricultural supplies such as seed, livestock and machinery.

The second case’s notice of application was filed in May and relates to repeated requests from members of their leadership to provide copies of financial documents, expenses and other reports over fiscal years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022- 2023. BMAAAC is a co-applicant in this case.

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“A lot of Thunderchild members that I talked to don’t have faith and trust in the Thunderchild chief to oversee $155 million,” said BMAAAC President Rob Louie in the statement.

“Given that this chief has repeatedly refused to cough up the financials, I can see why members are concerned about the lack of financial integrity,” he added of the members desire for 100 per cent of the claim payout.

battlefordsNOW Staff have reached out to Chief Wapass for comment, but as of the publishing deadline did not receive a response.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com