FSIN Responds To Guilty Plea By Former FNUC VP

FSIN Responds To Guilty Plea By Former FNUC VP

Friday, June 10, 2011 at 15:15

A First Nations leader is once again pledging to divide politics from academics at the First Nations University of Canada.

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Guy Lonechild say ground rules will be put in place before the FSIN holds its next meeting with the FNUC in September.

Yesterday, a courtroom in Regina heard how a former vice-president at the school, Wes Stevenson, defrauded the federal government of $15,000 that was intended for the university in 2004.

Word of Stevenson’s actions eventually prompted the FSIN to do a major house-cleaning of the institution, removing several teachers and officials.

Despite yesterday’s guilty plea by Stevenson, Lonechild says it doesn’t justify what the FSIN did back then, adding it could have been handled differently.

He says steps are being taken to keep some distance between the school and the FSIN.

The chief also notes he has talked to the new board chair, and he has full confidence measures are being put in place to keep incidents like this from happening again.