SADDLE LAKE - Five of the nine members of Saddle Lake’s band council have signed a memo directing Chief Dale Steinhauer to cease “all activity in any leadership or representative role.”
The memo also directs Steinhauer to “refrain from entering the council chambers or administrative offices for governance purposes,” and “stop presenting yourself to staff, membership, or external parties as holding any official position.”
Dated July 4, and signed by James Steinhauer, John Large, Jason Whiskeyjack, Charles Cardinal, and Kevin Delver the memo also says, “RCMP will be contacted to escort you from the premises” should Steinhauer not comply.
Steinhauer was elected chief on June 18, the second woman to hold the position in the band’s history. Also elected to council in June, but not signatories to the memo are Eddy Makokis, Kenton Cardinal, and Glen Whiskeyjack.
In an e-mailed statement to media on July 13, Steinhauer called for calm, respect, and unity in the face of the backlash.
“Each time new leadership is elected - especially when that leadership includes people calling for change - there is immediate hostile pushback. It’s time to ask ourselves why this keeps happening and how we can move forward in a better way,” said Steinhauer.
“Change can be hard - but it is necessary. Let’s walk through the discomfort together, with respect, ceremony, and love for our Nation,” said Steinhauer.
In a meeting broadcast live to social media on July 7, Steinhauer reiterated her call for a forensic audit of the Nation’s finances to take place.
“The big thing is the forensic audit. That makes people shake. That makes people very, very, angry at me,” said Steinhauer.
A forensic audit of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation finances was started in 2020, but “based on preliminary work, ISC determined a forensic audit was not necessary,” according to Jacinthe Goulet, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
But according to Steinhauer’s July 7 video, she was told by ISC on July 4, “it was stopped because they couldn’t get into the network because of the passwords. They were changed.”
“The forensic audit has to happen so people can once and for all stop talking,” said Steinhauer.
She said the audit will prove the accounting system in place doesn’t work and that INAC does not fulfill their fiduciary responsibility.
“Even though our reports might be, I don’t want to say negligent, [but] substandard? They still give us money,” said Steinhauer.
In a follow up e-mail, Goulet declined to explain or clarify the differing account.
“As previously noted, we confirm that we did not proceed with the forensic audit. To respect privacy, we do not comment on specific allegations or complaints other than to confirm if an allegation or complaint has been received, or if a forensic audit will proceed,” said Goulet.
Under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, Indigenous communities receiving funds through ISC are required to disclose their audited consolidated financial statements and a schedule of renumeration and expenses for their elected council within 120 days of the end of their fiscal year.
The most recent statements for Saddle Lake posted to the Government of Canada website are for 2023-2024. While the statements are due by the end of June, a review of the dates for previous years shows they are typically received by ISC in August. The 2023-24 statements include an auditor’s report dated Oct. 30, 2024, and were received by ISC on Nov. 1.
