Skip to main content

Chief Wallace Fox of Onion Lake Cree Nation (C) address a gatheing of Natives leaders at a downtown hotel in Ottawa, January 10, 2013 to discuss the up coming meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Dave Chan for The Globe and Mail.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail

Time is running out for dozens of Saskatchewan First Nations who will face funding cuts next week unless they get their paperwork done for the federal government.

The deadline to file was the end of July, but Ottawa won't start withholding non-essential funding until Sept. 1.

Thirty of Saskatchewan's 70 First Nations had still not filed as of noon Thursday, a non-compliance rate of 43 per cent.

They include the Thunderchild, Ochapowace and Onion Lake First Nations.

Onion Lake is challenging the First Nations Federal Financial Transparency Act in court.

The act requires reserves to file their financial statements, including salaries and expenses, on the Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada website where they can be viewed by anyone who has an interest.

Interact with The Globe