Overview
The Oneida Nation Council establishes a general right of access to records held by Oneida Nation Council, boards and commissions using these principles:
- Any information held by Oneida Nation Council should, in general, be available to the public
- Any exemptions from the right of access to information should be limited and specific
- Any person may make a request for information held by Oneida Nation Council
The Oneida Nation Council holds or has control of a wide number of general records and personal information banks. All of these records are controlled by provincial or federal legislation. The Oneida Nation Council is responsible for protecting personal health information under the PHIPA – the Personal Health Information Protection Act. This Act has strict rules designed to protect an individual’s health information in Oneida Nation Council custody.
Make an Information Request
Requests for information held by Oneida Nation Council are made to the Political office Executive Assistant who is responsible for managing Council information. Decisions on access to information are subject to review by Council representative(s).
Requests may be submitted in person to the Oneida Nation Political office Executive Assistant or Oneida Nation Band Administration reception. Requests may be mailed to: Request for Information, Oneida Nation Political Office, 2210 Elm Avenue, Southwold, ON N0L 2G0.
What is the time frame for completing a request?
The Oneida Nation Council will respond to a request within 30 days of receiving the request. For requests that involve a large number of records, require an extensive search, or consultation with an external third party, the time limit can be extended.
Will I be notified of a time extension?
Where a request involves a large number of records or requires an extensive search for records, Oneida Nation Council will provide you with a time extension based on the estimated number of hours it will take staff to search for the records.
Is there any way to expedite my request?
Unfortunately, there is no way to expedite a request. A note may be written on the request form that records are needed urgently, however there are no guarantees a response will be made available before the 30 day time frame.
Appeals Process
If you are not satisfied with the access decision made by the Oneida Nation Council, you can appeal the decision by writing to the Office of the Chief of Oneida Nation. The Oneida Nation Council has 30 calendar days from date of receipt to respond to your request. If you haven’t received a decision letter and 30 days have passed, you can appeal this too.
To appeal an access decision made by the Oneida Nation Council you must, within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision, write to the Chief’s office indicating you are appealing the Council’s decision.
Your letter should include a copy of your original request for information and a copy of Oneida Nation Council decision letter. Forward your request for an appeal with the appropriate appeal fee to the Commissioner’s office.