The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has ordered Onion Lake Cree Nation to publish the band’s financial statements.
The court order was based on the First Nations Financial Transparency Act and was sought by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Charmaine Stick.
The documents show Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox made $123,000 in 2015. He received another $27,962 in 2016, making $150,692.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says a chief’s average salary in Canada is $58,856.
The First Nation, which is on the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta, has 6,390 members. According to the federation, the average income is $17,528.
Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench ordered Onion Lake to publish basic documents on June 15, 2017, but band leaders appealed the decision. On March 26, 2018, the Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the decision.