Three members of the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta have filed a judicial review against their boss and council, as well as Canada’s attorney general over a $ 150 million won settlement reached in September.
According to Blood Tribe, the agreement grew out of a dispute over the government’s non-compliance with the cattle agreements outlined in Treaty 7 in 1877.
According to a press release issued Monday, Roger Prairie Chicken, Eugene Fox and Lori Scout are concerned about who has control of the money and say they believe the deal appears to contravene the law.
The trio took legal action earlier this month with the help of the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada (BMAAAC).
“We’ve been running in this type of system for probably the last 30 years and no one has stepped up because they’re scared,” Scout said.
“The members of Blood Tribe have been in the dark for too long. It is time to create a process that increases our economic influence while respecting our Aboriginal and treaty rights ”.
The group says it believes the Blood Tribe chief and council did not properly consult with tribal members before the September ratification vote and did not provide clear enough information on what the money would be used for.
“The settlement agreement itself was never presented to members, it was just a summary of what is in the settlement,” explained Rob Louie, president of BMAAAC.
“We say that is not good enough.”
“I’d really like the federal government to step in and say, ‘Hey, this election was not valid,’” Scout added.
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At the forefront of your concerns is alleged financial negligence.
Fox said some members have yet to receive their $ 2,000 payment from a similar settlement in 2019.
“People need to know where their money is,” he said.
The group wants tribe members to have a more direct voice on where the money is allocated, pointing to what they call the ‘lousy housing condition’ in the Bloody Tribe, and claiming that their leaders have systematically impoverished and misled them. .
“It’s just about accountability, transparency and getting informed,” Prairie Chicken said.
“It is the money of the people, not the money of the boss and the council.”
Global News reached out to Blood Tribe for a response, but was told that no one was available for comment at the time of publication.
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