Indigenous leaders from various First Nation communities gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislature for the Duty to Consult Day of Action event. They expressed frustrations and concerns about the lack of proper consultation with Indigenous communities in the province. Issues such as gates being put up on Crown Lands hindering traditional activities like hunting and gathering were highlighted. Mike Campeau from Yellow Quill First Nation spoke about the impact this has on his livelihood and inherent treaty rights. Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation, and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council also attended the event.
Betty Nippi-Albright, the Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis Relations Critic, mentioned that Indigenous people who use the lands for ceremonies have also been impacted by the lack of consultation from both levels of government. She emphasized the importance of raising these issues to educate the public and make them aware of the negative impact on Indigenous people’s way of life. The province’s revised First Nation and Métis Consultation Policy Framework came into effect on January 1, with Minister Don McMorris stating that they are open to suggestions for improvement and are actively engaging with Indigenous communities.
Minister McMorris stated that the province has engaged with a number of Indigenous communities, including the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). He mentioned that some communities chose not to engage in the consultation process, and those who did provided positive feedback on changes that should be made to the policy. However, Nippi-Albright criticized the government’s consultation process, stating that only 31% of First Nations and 38% of Métis locals were engaged in updating the new policy. She accused the Sask. party government of not showing interest in meaningful duty to consult.
The event at the Saskatchewan Legislature aimed to bring attention to the ongoing issues faced by Indigenous communities in the province due to the lack of proper consultation from the government. Leaders emphasized the importance of upholding Indigenous peoples’ inherent treaty rights and traditional way of life. The revised First Nation and Métis Consultation Policy Framework was implemented on January 1, with Minister McMorris stating that they are committed to making improvements based on feedback received from Indigenous communities.
Indigenous leaders like Mike Campeau from Yellow Quill First Nation shared personal stories of how the lack of proper consultation has directly impacted their livelihood and ability to engage in traditional activities. Betty Nippi-Albright highlighted the broader impact on Indigenous communities who use the lands for ceremonies and emphasized the need for meaningful consultation moving forward. Despite the government’s claims of engaging with Indigenous communities, criticisms were raised about the inadequacy of the consultation process, with concerns about the government’s lack of interest in ensuring meaningful duty to consult.
