James Smith Cree Nation, which is made up of three individual bands, is located about 45 minutes southeast of Prince Albert. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Financial transparency

Indigenous Services Canada to conduct forensic audit of James Smith Cree Nation

Jul 25, 2025 | 2:27 PM

Chief Kirby Constant is welcoming news of a forensic audit for James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN).

Formal notice received on Friday from Indigenous Services Canada confirmed the audit will be conducted by KPMG and overseen by the Assessment and Investigation Services Branch of ISC.

“When I first started my campaign for chief, I said we need to do an audit just to find out what happened and where everything is at and see if there’s been discrepancies because you hear stories,” he said.

The audit will begin shortly and take a few months to complete. All expenditures from April 1, 2018, to present will be reviewed including Jordan’s Principal, child family services and prevention.

“If there’s misdoings, there’s misdoings, and then we will deal with it appropriately but if there’s nothing then our members can at least know our previous leadership did not do any misappropriation or any of our admin staff or anyone like that,” Constant said.

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Chief Kirby Constant. (Tine Pelletier Photography)

Through a statement on the band’s social media page, Constant encouraged all members to cooperate fully and noted he has been working with the other two JSCN chiefs to make sure processes and requests sent to administration to support ongoing accountability are completed in a timely manner.

“This cooperation is essential because our shared goal is to act in the best interests of you, the members,” he stated.

In addition to initiating this forensic audit, Constant also confirmed he has been working to lay the groundwork for new processes that strengthen financial oversight and improve how they govern and deliver services.

“From governance to finance, every effort is being made to ensure that the structures we put in place truly serve our people, and that outdated or ineffective approaches are replaced with ones that reflect accountability, transparency and community well-being.”

The company running the JSCN audit is the same one that conducted the audit of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). Preliminary findings, which were not publicly released, reportedly flagged over $20 million in spending. When asked about the FSIN audit, Constant said he has not heard any update.

“It’s just troubling that it’s almost a month after the audit was done and then nothing … crickets,” he said.

A previous source who spoke to paNOW indicated the final report was expected to go to ISC Deputy Minister Gena Wilson for approval by Aug.4.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social