Confidential documents indicate the chief and council of the Standing Buffalo First Nation were paid nearly a million dollars in the last year.
This includes $600,000 to attend meetings.
This is leading to calls for impeachment but so far the chief and other councillors are holding firm.
The review was conducted by chartered accountants Myers Norris Penny of Saskatoon and tracks spending until the end of the fiscal year Mar. 31, 2012.
The company says it is not at liberty to discuss its findings.
However, copies of the report are being circulated amongst residents on the reserve, about 80 kilometers northeast of Regina.
Marita Crant, the chairperson of the band’s senate council which has voted to impeach the chief and council, says the accountants’ report shows spending is out of control.
“There was a great deal of spending going on,” she says. “The chief and councillors were paying themselves $5,000 a month plus there was still their travel and per diems.”
Chief Roger Redman would not speak directly to the numbers which indicate he was paid $182,000 during the fiscal year – including more than $100,000 to attend meetings.
He says there are a lot of allegations but sums it up as just part of politics.
Redman does admit spending was too high but says it has been brought under control.
As for the impeachment, the Standing Buffalo chief says the senate council is not recognized and has no authority to impeach either him or the council.
He adds Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has approved the band’s budget.
Elections will be held on the Standing Buffalo First Nation this November.