The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is heralding a Saskatchewan court decision in favour of a group of Indigenous hunters.

In 2018, a group of hunters from the Six Nations First Nation in Ontario were invited to hunt on unoccupied Crown land in southern Saskatchewan and subsequently charged with hunting without a licence.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says the court decision affirms inherent treaty hunting rights.

“Yesterday’s victory case for our treaty hunting hunters, proved it again,” he says. “It was a landmark case and we want to get the message right across the country that where treaties continue to be alive, we will continue to protect our way of life.”

The Regina Provincial Court decision came down on Wednesday.

In his decision, Judge John Kovatch says all First Nations people in the province have the unhindered right to hunt for food on accessible unoccupied Crown land according to the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement.

The group of hunters had been in the Moose Mountain Provincial Park.

Under provincial law, only First Nations people covered under treaties two, four, five, six, eight and 10 can hunt in Saskatchewan without a licence.

Cameron says he expects the province to appeal.

(PHOTO: Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron. File photo.)