Photo courtesy Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Real Estate Handout
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Executive is calling on the Saskatchewan government to put an immediate stop to the auction sale of 62 parcels of Crown lands this month until the Treaty Land Entitlement First Nations in Saskatchewan are meaningfully consulted.
The FSIN says some First Nations in Saskatchewan were notified by a letter of the proposed auction on vacant Crown lands back in late January and were asked if the potential sale would adversely impact traditional rights on the 62 parcels.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says the FSIN has yet to see a copy of the letter and the province hasn’t been forthcoming in producing any communication to the First Nations.
“We’ve asked for these letters that have been sent out to the First Nations, but for whatever reason, they (the government) don’t want to share which First Nations they have sent the letters to. This is not communication and is certainly not reconciliation,” said Cameron.
The letter requested whether the First Nation used the “land to hunt, fish and trap for food and carry out traditional uses” and whether the potential sale or lease of Crown land has the potential to adversely affect those rights. This was raised with the FSIN executive Thursday evening, particularly that an online auction would begin on March 2, 2017.
FSIN staff learned about the online auction through social media. Cameron says the potential sale does impact First Nations’ right to hunt, trap and gather.
“Long before any buildings or before any settler came to this province now called Saskatchewan, the original people of these lands were First Nations. They lived and survived off these lands. Their ancestors are affected by the potential purchase of these Crown lands.”
Cameron says the proposed auction sale of Crown lands by the Saskatchewan government is a serious breach of its legal obligations to First Nations that have been struggling against economic and legislative hurdles to purchase and attain an adequate and viable economic land base.
Since 2008, the province has introduced the Crown Land Sales Programs, oftentimes with incentives for current lessees of the land and to the exclusion of all TLE First Nations. The FSIN says government actions must honour the spirit of reconciliation and the FSIN will continue to advocate for the implementation and lawful obligations of Inherent and Treaty Rights.
Cameron says they have put a call in to meet with the provincial government as soon as possible to rectify the situation and says if they have to pursue legal action that it may be done after meeting with their commissions.
The Ministry of Agriculture is planning on selling 62 parcels of Crown Land in central and southern Saskatchewan to the highest bidder through Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers of Edmonton.