Judge declines to dissolve Treaty 7 First Nations Chiefs Association despite rift between bands yyc
But despite a request by three of the bands, a Calgary judge declined to dissolve the Treaty 7 First Nations Chiefs’ Association.Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc.
“The applicants submit that the relationship between them and the respondents has deteriorated in recent years, resulting in deadlock in the association’s decision-making process and interfering with the fulfilment of its core objects, including and especially pursuing common political goals of the member nations,” Nixon said in her written ruling.Article content
She noted a major bone of contention within the organization, formed in 2005 to advocate political positions of common interest to the seven nations, was the distribution of the limited funding the association receives from governments. The Blackfoot chiefs pointed out the other nations use their 4-3 majority to demand an equal distribution of funding, despite the G-4 Nations only comprising 25 per cent of the Treaty 7 First Nations members.Article content“Very little funding flows through the association to its members. Each nation makes its own arrangements with governments and agencies for most of its funding for programs and services.