A group of tenants on the Fishing Lake First Nation say they are being unfairly evicted from their homes.
The tenants are all members of other First Nations but have familial ties to Fishing Lake.
Celina Quewezance is a Yellowquill First Nation member but her mother and late grandmother are a Fishing Lake members.
She says she has lived in her home on the reserve without incident for three years and the eviction notices are overly high handed.
“This isn’t our traditional way,” she says. “That the labels placed on us were a means of colonization and we don’t do that to each other in our traditional teachings and our traditional rights.”
Quewezance, who lives in the unit with her partner and two children, says she was told by the First Nation she could stay as long as there were no objections from band members within her first six months of residency.
She says she lives in the unit her grandmother once occupied, right next door to her mother.
A recent application to transfer her band membership to Fishing Lake was also denied, Quewezance says.
She adds she believes that everyone who wants on-reserve housing can be accommodated by fixing up existing structures and making better use of space.
Fishing Lake First Nation Chief Derek Sunshine says the eviction notices were sent out to about five units.
He says with a long list of band members waiting for on-reserve accommodation and receiving only about $226,000 per year from the federal government to address housing needs, the First Nation had no choice but to send out the notices.
“How would we accommodate those who are on our housing list? In our housing list, there’s over 150 people seeking units.”
The eviction notices were sent out Nov. 9.
Tenants have until Jan. 9 to evacuate.
Fishing Lake First Nation is located about 226 kilometres east of Saskatoon.
(PHOTOS: Top, Celina Quewezance. Bottom, Fishing Lake First Nation Chief Derek Sunshine. Both photos courtesy Facebook.)