The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says the provincial government wants the Supreme Court to rule on a hunting case against an Indigenous man from Manitoba.
In April, the provincial appeals court upheld a 2015 not guilty decision for Kristjan Pierone from Treaty 5 territory.
Pierone was charged after hunting a moose on private land near Swift Current. He pleaded not guilty, claiming he was exercising his treaty right to hunt on private land. He was initially found not guilty and a provincial appeals judge upheld that decision in April.
In a release, the FSIN says the province of Saskatchewan is now seeking leave to appeal from the Supreme Court of Canada.
“The provincial justice system continues to waste taxpayers’ dollars to fight us in court when our inherent and treaty rights have been affirmed,” said FSIN Vice-Chief Heather Bear. “We are not asking for this fight, but we will stand up for the treaty hunter’s legal and constitutional rights that have been consistently recognized by the courts.”
(PHOTO: Court. Photo courtesy of sasklawcourts.ca)