Almost all of this area's First Nations have met the federal government's deadline for submitting disclosures of how much their chiefs and council members earned over the last fiscal year. And one of the First Nations that hasn't yet plans to do so in about two weeks.
Lheidli T'enneh missed the deadline, executive director Jason Morgan said Wednesday, because it has changed auditors and has a vacancy in its finance department.
But the First Nation has "every intention" of posting the information on its website as well as sending it to Ottawa.
"We have been working very diligently with our new auditors to get our annual report done," Morgan said, adding that Sept. 16 is the target date to have the work completed.
Of the 20 bands in this region surveyed by The Citizen, disclosures from just three are yet to be posted on the federal government's Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada website: the Prince George-based Lheidli T'enneh First Nation and the Quesnel area Esdilagh and Nazko First Nations.
First Nations had until midnight Tuesday to submit both their schedules of remuneration for elected officials and their consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending March 31 or risk losing non-essential funding from the federal government.
The requirement comes out of the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which came into effect last year.
Of the 17 chiefs in the area for which up-to-date information is available, Richard Peters of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation near Burns Lake was the highest paid.
He received $166,169, although that includes loan advances totalling $24,650.
The next highest was Donny Van Somer, chief of the Kwadacha Nation north of Williston Lake, at $109,687, followed closely by McLeod Lake Indian Band chief Derek Orr at $109,385.
All three nations appear to be in good financial shape.
Cheslatta Carrier finished the year with an accumulated surplus of nearly $5.6 million although its three businesses - Cheslatta Forest Products, Noot'senay Enterprises Ltd. and Noot'senay Enterprises Ltd. Partnership - all suffered net losses.
Kwadacha Nation has a nearly $43-million accumulated surplus and recorded large net incomes in two of its businesses as Kwadacha Natural Resources Ltd. Partnership finished the year $578,609 ahead and OBO Forst Management Ltd. Partnership brought in $404,548.
McLeod Lake's accumulated surplus stood at $49.5 million, although a summary of revenues and expenses for its government business partners show a net loss of $2.1 million, compared to earnings of $24.5 million the year before.
The lowest paid chief was Allen Joseph of Yekooche First Nation near Fort St. James at $50,588.
Of that, he earned $38,938 as the treaty team negotiator.
Next lowest was Burns Lake Indian Band Chief Wes Sam at $51,684.
Cheslatta Carrier has 355 registered members, Kwadacha 555, McLeod Lake 541, Yekooche 231 and Burns Lake 130.
The disclosures can be found on the AANDC website.
Go to www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca, scroll down to and click on First Nations Profiles and then click on First Nation and FNFTA.
