Liard First Nation withdraws support from women's society

Yukons Liard First Nation has withdrawn support for the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society.

Chief Liard McMillan says the group is unaccountable to the First Nation, but should be because it receives funding from territorial and federal agencies withFirst Nation support.

It has also recieved fundingdirectly from the FirstNation.

McMillan says his government will no longer ignore the accountability issues and he wants other levels of government to follow suit.

"We're basically sending a message out there to the Yukon public and to the other levels of government that they shouldn't assume that when the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society comes knocking on their door for funding, that that funding is going to be used in an appropriate fashion," he said.

Mary Maje, a director with the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, says the organization needs the support of the First Nation.

"I wish they will not withdraw their support for LAWS because we are their membership," she said. "We have so many social issues that we're all in this together. You have respect for one another; you help one another. That's what First Nations is all about."

Maje says the society is an open book. They have an annual general meeting, regular audits and are a registered charity. Their finances are available online.

"He's welcome to come to our office or call us, email us," she said. "Our doors are always open."

She said it's not clear where the Chief got the idea that money is not being spent properly .

"If we mismanage our money then we won't be able to get any funding source out there."