The provincial government and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations have apparently begun some early discussions about the next gaming agreement.
Alphonse Bird, a former chief of the FSIN, touched on the issue yesterday at the FSIN winter legislative assembly on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.
Bird wouldn’t go into details, but confirmed the two sides are still “quite a bit apart”.
He is heading up the FSIN’s technical committee for the gaming review, which is due to take place sometime this year.
The federation and the provincial government have to hammer out a new agreement sometime this year.
Meanwhile, the FSIN continues to try and dig itself out of a deficit situation.
Acting chief Morley Watson says some recent severance packages to former chief Guy Lonechild and his staff last fall impacted the FSIN’s fiscal outlook for the year.
He says the overall deficit will likely be around $500,000 by the end of March.
In other assembly business, a northern Dene chief has told delegates she hopes more women get involved in First Nations politics.
Debbie Billette of the Buffalo River Dene Nation says there used to be 16 female chiefs in the province — and now that number is down to 11.
However, she says there are over 100 female band councillors in the province, which she says is a good sign.
Billette adds there is still much work to do in the area of real matrimonial property on reserve and assisting women who have contracted HIV/AIDS.