FSIN Says Land Deal Needs First Nations’ Blessing
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 13:22
The FSIN is demanding an immediate meeting with the province and Ottawa about a recent settlement of a mineral rights deal between the two governments.
Canada and the province recently reached a deal which granted Saskatchewan the ownership of 34,000 hectares of Soldier Settlement Board minerals, and a payment of $32.9 million in consideration of revenues earned from these minerals in recent years.
Part of the deal saw Saskatchewan relinquish all claims to ownership of an additional 24,000 hectares of Soldier Settlement Board minerals within the boundaries of surrendered reserves, to assist Canada in honoring its treaty obligations to Saskatchewan First Nations.
FSIN Chief Guy Lonechild maintains the mineral ownership can’t be transferred without First Nations consent, because First Nations never surrendered minerals during the treaty-making process.
Lonechild says there are a number of treaty obligations to be resolved with First Nations — including unresolved ownership and title to minerals under the Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, resource revenue sharing, and other outstanding obligations under the Soldier Settlement Act.