5822-06528 — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

The complainant alleged that Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) failed to conduct a reasonable search for records related to the Wood Mountain (Lakota) First Nation's land claim from 2000 to 2020. Initially, CIRNAC provided records only from 2017 onwards, claiming no earlier records could be located. The OIC's investigation highlighted the absence of records from key periods, specifically 2009-2012 when the claim was first submitted and rejected, and 2014-2016 when the First Nation filed with the Specific Claims Tribunal. After the OIC's persistent questioning and research, CIRNAC conducted subsequent searches and located additional responsive records. The Information Commissioner concluded that CIRNAC had not conducted a reasonable search and ordered the institution to retrieve and process all newly identified records and issue a new response to the complainant.