The Cree Trust was sworn in May 21, at their first board meeting, with Mathew Coon Come as Chair, Ted Moses as Vice Chair, and Tania Pash as Treasurer.
The Cree Trust is the funding agency appointed to oversee the $1.4 billion transferred from the federal government according to the New Relationship Agreement with the Cree, signed February 26.
The Trust replaces some of the federal government JBNQA obligations as the funding source for the Cree Regional Authority. The trustees do not have the power to make specific decisions about the disbursement of the funds under their jurisdiction, stressed Bill Namagoose, Executive Director of the CRA and initial trustee of the Cree Trust. The CRA will continue to decide where to spend the money, he explained.
“The Cree Trust is not a quasi-government,” said Namagoose. “It is strictly a funding agency.”
Members of the Cree Trust do not earn a salary, but do receive a per diem of $30,000, annually.
