Tribal council may face charges for calling Nerland informant

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The Saskatchewan justice department is looking into whether a Native organization broke the law when it claimed to reveal the identity of an RCMP

informant involved in the LaChance shooting investigation.

"The matter has been turned over to us," said Lisa Thompson, a spokesman

for the provincial justice department.

The Prince Albert Tribal Council announced Carney Nerland - the racist leader convicted in the shooting death of Cree trapper Leo LaChance - was also an RCMP

mole on organized racist activities in Saskatchewan.

Thompson would not say whether the department's investigation might lead to charges against the council or when such a decision might be made.

Tribal council officials said they had been told by their lawyer, Gerald Morin, that Nerland was the informant during a provincially ordered inquiry into the 199 shooting.

The informant's identity has been a central issue during the inquiry. It is considered possible that if Nerland had a special relationship with the police, it might have influenced the Prince Albert city police investigation of LaChance's death and the handling of the case against the racist leader.

Saskatchewan's appeal court has already overturned an inquiry order forcing the RCMP to identify their informant. And the Supreme Court of Canada last month refused to hear an appeal of that decision.

RCMP lawyer Marty Popescul said the federal police force will neither confirm

nor deny the tribal council's allegations. He also asked Saskatchewan Judge Minister

Bob Mitchell to investigate the council's actions.

Nerland is serving a four-year manslaughter sentence for shooting LaChance through the door of his Prince Albert gun shop. The head of the Saskatchewan chapter

of the Church of Jesus Christ Aryan Nations parole request was denied in August.