Vanessa Curley said she is being accused of defamation and malice because she spoke publicly about elections, finances and governance issues in her First Nation. (Image Credit: battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Civil suit

Saskatchewan First Nation suing one of its members for defamation

Feb 12, 2026 | 10:28 AM

Vanessa Curley believes a civil suit filed against her by Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation’s Chief and council is being used as a way to intimidate her and ‘silence participation in public discussion about how the community is run.’

A Statement of Claim was issued at Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon on Jan. 16 with the plaintiffs listed as the First Nation, which is located 30 kilometres south of North Battleford, Chief Tanya Stone, and councillors Jacqueline Pahsaknunk, Rusty Pahsaknunk, Rueben Rowan, Celest Sanders and Deborah Stone.

In an interview with battlefordsNOW, Curley said the Nation is accusing her of defamation and malice because she spoke publicly about elections, finances and governance issues that affect every member.

“My comments have been based on my lived experience and information available to me, and I have tried to speak honestly, responsibly, and in good faith about matters of public interest,” said Curley.

None of the allegations against Vanessa Curley have been proven in court. (Image Credit: Submitted)

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According to the court document, Curley was enrolled in the Governance, Law and Management program at the University of Athabasca. The single mother of two young children, who suffers from fibromyalgia, had been receiving a stipend of $500 per month through the First Nation’s Post-Secondary Student Support Program Policy. It’s the maximum allowance for students enrolled in distance or online programs. Around September of 2025, she had requested that the Nation increase her living allowance to $1,500 per month, which is the maximum provided for students with dependents who are enrolled in full-time courses. The Nation denied the request because it said Curley was not enrolled in a full-time program.

After contacting the Nation several times to request it alter policies to provide students with access to greater funding, Curley took to Facebook and made what the plaintiffs called several defamatory posts.

“In December 2025, the Defendant published several posts on Facebook alleging, falsely, directly or by way of innuendo, that the Plaintiffs: a) engaged in election interference; (b) misappropriated trust funds; (c) threatened to disconnect power to band member homes; and (d) improperly withheld social assistance payments,” the statement read.

In one specific post on Dec. 7, 2025, Curley wrote on Facebook, “Kick backs after kick back…event after event…expenses after expenses. See right through the endless corruption as there’s nothing to show for all the Nation amenities…a proud Thief and corrupted governance structure. Taking from children trust funds, threatening people by cutting off the electricity, withholding social assistance payments marginalizing [sic] vulnerable demographics to silence misadministration corruption. In a world of corruption, to be honest and what’s right is a crime these days. I never used to believe what I would hear, but it’s truly pitiful to witness firsthand what it truly is. I guess it’s right somewhere in the world.”

In November 2025, the plaintiffs delivered a cease-and-desist letter in which the Nation demanded that Curley remove the defamatory posts, and not make any future defamatory comments about the Nation and its leadership. Since she did not take down the posts, the Nation said Curley acted with malice and published posts with ‘reckless disregard for the truth and fairness of their content.”

Curley said the Nation eventually cut off her funding completely. She said she can’t afford a retainer for a lawyer, and even if she could, Indigenous law firms have told her they cannot act for her because of conflicts of interest or lack of capacity, and Legal Aid does not cover defamation.

“It appears I may have to represent myself against a fully represented First Nation government, which is overwhelming and raises serious access‑to‑justice concerns for me. This situation has already cost me my educational opportunities and has been deeply distressing, leaving me feeling psychologically chilled about participating in Nation affairs and speaking up in my own community. I believe what is happening to me is not an isolated case,” she said.

She said the whole case points to a broader crisis in how Indigenous voices are treated when they raise concerns in the public interest.

The Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada (BMAAAC) is a non-profit that helps band members get access to justice. President Rob Louie said its becoming common to see First Nations ‘retaliate against members when they speak out.’ In his experience, he has seen an example of success in a defamation case because the band member couldn’t file a Statement of Defence.

“So, the band obtained what’s called a default judgement. Basically, a band member doesn’t have the resources or the wherewithal to navigate their way through a litigation court action.”

Louie is based in British Columbia. He said, unlike Saskatchewan, B.C. has something called the Anti-SLAPP Law (Protection of Public Participation Act). The legislation allows defendants to apply for dismissal if a lawsuit, typically for defamation, aims to silence public debate on matters of public interest.

“The courts are mindful that those with the money and the power cannot use defamation lawsuits to silence folks,” said Louie. “It essentially protects the freedom of expression and it protects those that are calling into question, you know, questionable conduct as a matter of public interest.”

Louie said BMAAAC would be reaching out to Curley. He called her case the ‘quintessential David and Goliath situation.’

A spokesperson for Chief Stone said they are unable to provide comment on the matter since the case is currently with their legal counsel – MLT Aikins LLP in Calgary, AB.

The statement of claim shows the plaintiffs are seeking judgement against Curley for general and special damages ‘in an amount to be proven at trial,’ costs of the action and that the posts be permanently removed from the internet and social media networks, among other requests.

While she continues to search for legal help, Curley said she’s asked the Nation’s lawyer for more time to respond.

None of the allegations against Curley have been proven in court.

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*Editors note: This story was updated at 12:40 p.m. to include comments from the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada.

cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com