The Takla Lake First Nation is now in compliance with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, after the federal government threatened to withhold funding for nonessential programs and services.
Audited financial statements dated Dec. 19 filed with the federal government showed Chief Anita Williams earned $78,372 in the financial year that ended on on March 31, 2014. Williams, who served as a councillor for four months of the financial year, also spent $17,124 on travel.
Former chief Dolly Abraham, who only served four months of the fiscal year, earned $95,562 and spent $8,644 in travel expenses.
It was unclear from the documents if Abraham also worked for the First Nation as a paid employee for any portion of the year.
Unlike municipal, regional district, school district, provincial and federal governments -which prohibit elected representatives from being paid employees of the government -it is common practice for chiefs and councillors to also work as paid employees of the First Nation.
According to financial statements posted online by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, all members of the Yakooche First Nation council were also paid employees for some portion of the year, earning between $452 and $25,831 in wages.
All four councillors of the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation were also paid employees for some portion of the year, earning between between $1,551 and $71,944 in wages.
Takla Lake councillors Eike Lepka, Ann Abraham, Colin Teegee, Sandra Teegee, Sylvia Jack and John Allen French earned between $28,69 and $46,259 during the 2013-14 fiscal year, and recorded between $2,457 and $12,984 in travel expenses.
Lepka, the only councillor to serve a full 12 months during the fiscal year, earned $41,831 in 2013-14.
Takla Lake was one of 307 First Nations across the country that failed to meet the July 29 deadline required by the act to disclose its audited financial statements, and what its chief and council were paid, to the federal government. Under the act, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada posts the information online on its website (http://bit.ly/1BwQf0u).
Of the five First Nations with offices in Prince George -Kwadacha, Lheidli T'enneh, Tsay Keh Dene, Takla Lake and Yakooche -only the Kwadacha Nation complied with the July deadline. Regionally, only 12 of 20 First Nations in the broader central B.C. area were in compliance by the deadline.
On Nov. 26 aboriginal affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt issued a statement saying the federal government would withhold funding from 52 First Nations -including Takla Lake - still not in compliance with the legislation.
Valcourt said the government would begin withholding funding to noncompliant First Nations for nonessential programs, services and activities; as well as withholding new funding for nonessential program proposals; and seeking court orders to force First Nations governments that have indicated they will not comply with the legislation to comply.
According to the federal government, 34 First Nations - including 10 in B.C. -were still not in compliance with the act on Dec. 31.
According to information released by the federal government the Takla Lake First Nation has a registered population of 765 people, of which 397 live in the nation's 17 reserves and settlements.
Although the nation has a financial services office based in Prince George, the majority of the settlements are located near Takla Lake, about 360 kilometres northwest of the city.
According to the First Nation's financial statements, its total revenue for 2014 was approximately $5.6 million, with more than $3.7 million coming from the federal and provincial government.
Takla Lake Chief Anita Williams did not return calls as of press time.
