The presentation of Six Nations' annual audit Monday night was difficult for most band members to grasp and failed to answer the burning question for most.
"Are we winning or losing?" asked one frustrated band member paging through the 86-page audit handed out at the band's annual meeting.
The answer, according to Chief Coun. Bill Montour, is just as complex as the audit.
"We're in a good position right now," said Montour. "The audit only looks at up to March 2008 and this council, by hook or by crook, is working on new ways to develop income."
That's critical, he said, because there are darker times coming due to expected cutbacks from the federal government.
'UP A CREEK'
Last year, Indian Affairs handed over $28 million but the council spent $65 million.
Other sources of income included a $18 million payment from Casino Rama money, bingo hall income, a trust fund held by the government, leased lands and the band's natural gas partnership.
The Six Nations administration has grown to about 700 employees with a payroll of over $23 million in wages and benefits.
The chief and 12 elected councillors cost $472,351 for salaries and benefits and a dozen senior administrative staff earn between $50,000 and $110,000 a year.
All of the salaries are tax free, giving Six Nations workers a benefit of about 30 per cent on top of their salaries.
But the band is responsible for a great deal more than a typical municipality.
It does typical work like manage land, repair roads and encourage tourism, but the band also runs its own health services, bingo hall, welfare services, housing department and day care.
While the chief believes the band is financially stable now, he predicts a rough road ahead.
"In my personal opinion we're going to be up a creek. We're about $200 million short when it comes to infrastructure work here."
Gaps in services range from a critically needed water treatment plant to upgrades in solid waste management, road work, electricity and gas upgrades and more funds for education and social programs.
"People, we've got a big fight ahead of us."
While there were fewer than two dozen who turned out from the community, the band councillors, auditors and the heads of all the departments were on hand at the meeting in order to answer any questions.
"This is something new," said Montour to the sparse group in the community hall.
"It's late, but this is the first chance we've had to present (the audit) to the community and it's important for people to know how the money was spent."
The accomplishments cited for the year include finalizing new waste management technology, upgrading playground equipment at all elementary schools, completing a native language program evaluation, arranging for the Burtch lands to be returned to their agricultural state and sponsoring Six Nations athletes to attend the North American Indigenous games in B. C.
Projects that are expected to come to fruition in the new year include arranging for a new $10-million bingo hall and opening the White Pines Health and Office complex with its six-bed dialysis unit.
In his report, Montour also said that the new council has held six joint meetings with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council to talk about shared jurisdiction that would benefit the whole community.
Terry Lynn Brant, who told the chief and staff the audit was too confusing for anyone not into evaluating pages of financial documents, said that she was at least pleased to see the information being offered.
The audit and other financial reports have been posted on the band's website, www.sixnations.ca.