The spring sitting of the FSIN Legislative Assembly is underway on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.
Senator Roland Crowe was one of the first speakers to take the podium this morning.
He highlighted ongoing concerns with the giving out of pasture lands in the province by the government.
The senator said he thinks First Nations should sit down and talk about the situation with the ranchers who are receiving much of the land:
“I don’t have an axe to grind with ranchers, farmers, producers — and I think we’ve had some very healthy discussions with those people. And I think if it was left to us to deal with those issues and sort them out, I think we would do very well. And, if you recall, that was the process that was used in Treaty Land Entitlement.”
Crowe noted that up until 1972, First Nations had less land than Prince Albert National Park — while the railroads had ten times that amount.
Meanwhile, Guy Lariviere has been sworn in as a new FSIN senator.
The former chief of the Canoe Lake Cree Nation was wrapped in a starblanket and awarded an honour song.
He will represent the Meadow Lake Tribal Council during his tenure on the FSIN Senate.