Federal audit into FSIN spending finds $34 million in oddities

Questions are being raised about the finances of the FSIN. Keenan Sorokan reports.

A forensic audit requested by the federal government examining the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) spending has found $34.2 million that needs explaining.

Indigenous Services Canada presented its findings to FSIN leadership last week. A slide from that presentation has been shared online, showing the audit performed by KPMG reviewing $47.1 million in transactions and flagging $34.2 million worth of them.

The expenses separated $3.7 million as “ineligible,” $30.3 million as “questionable” and $155,595 as “unsupported.”

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Indigenous Services initially announced a forensic audit last March related to four separate funding agreements, dating from April 1, 2019, onwards.

The largest single item is more than $23.5 million in COVID-19 funding. Another item questions nearly $8 million in administration fees.

The FSIN did not respond to a request for a comment from CTV News and refused to allow any questions about the audit at a news conference for a separate matter on Monday.

Premier Scott Moe spoke about the findings after landing in Saskatoon following his trade mission to China.

“If there are issues, we would always be looking at ensuring that we are protecting not only the investments that Saskatchewan people are making that may relate to the FSIN but are protecting how those investments are actually flowing to its individuals and to communities,” Moe said.

“We’ll leave the federal government and the FSIN’s financial relationship. They’ll sort through that.”

Indigenous Services told CTV News officials initially met with FSIN leadership on June 19, 2025 to discuss the draft findings of the forensic audit and provide them the opportunity to submit additional documentation.

The findings were then presented to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations last Thursday.

“As next steps, the audit report will be finalized, and a summary letter will be sent to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations detailing recommendations,” Indigenous Services Canada said in a statement.

A summary of the audit findings will be posted to the department’s website and be available to the public before September 30. Indigenous Services Canada says its policy is to provide a summary only.