Sask. First Nations, Opposition call for province to fix duty-to-consult process

Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP and First Nations leaders are calling for the provincial government to overhaul its duty-to-consult process and enshrine a new process with legislation.

Duty-to-consult legislation requires First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada to be consulted before third parties do things like land development and resource extraction.

On Monday, Opposition critic for First Nations and Métis relations Betty Nippi-Albright introduced Bill 610, The Meaningful Duty to Consult Act.

In the spring, she introduced a similar private member's bill that government members did not support.

The current process in the province involves the government sending notices to communities when Crown land adjacent to reserves is sold. First Nations are consulted through registered letters or meetings with industry when appropriate.

The Opposition's bill would call on the government to consider First Nations communities first when the province sells Crown land, a process typically completed at auction.

Indigenous leaders have expressed concerns that these sales can restrict treaty rights to hunting, fishing and gathering.

Nippi-Albright said the provincial government is "selling off Crown land to the highest bidder without properly consulting Indigenous peoples."

She said the existing duty-to-consult policy lacks "teeth."

"Because it is a policy and not legislation, the government does not have to follow it. This government doesn't follow its own policies. Indigenous leaders have had enough."

She said the existing policy is 12 years old and new rules not enshrined in legislation would amount to "lipstick" on a failed policy.

Nippi-Albright said the government failed to consult Indigenous leaders before releasing its recent white paper Drawing the Line: Defending Saskatchewan's Economic Autonomy, and the introduction of the Saskatchewan First Act last week.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and First Nations leaders have criticized that paper for ignoring Indigenous rights.

The Opposition was joined by guests of several different First Nations Monday.