'Not backing down on this': Sask. Indigenous leaders call on province to improve consultation ahead of Crown land auctions
CTV
Indigenous leaders across Saskatchewan are calling on the provincial government to halt an upcoming Crown land auction and to improve the consultation process moving forward.
Indigenous leaders across Saskatchewan are calling on the provincial government to halt an upcoming Crown land auction and to improve the consultation process moving forward.
On Jan. 31, the Ministry of Agriculture is scheduled to host an online auction for the lease of Crown land for agriculture purposes. The highest bidders in the auction will receive parcels of land for up to 33 years.
Indigenous leaders and their community members say this goes against their Treaty rights.
“Crown land sale leases that are up to 33 years result in unjustifiable infringement of our Treaty rights to meaningfully hunt, trap, fish, harvest and gather within our traditional territories,” Chief Henry Lewis of Onion Lake Cree Nation said on Monday.
Members of his community use the land surrounding their reserve for those practices, but won’t be able to continue doing so if the land is auctioned off.
Terri Quinney, the duty to consult coordinator for Onion Lake Cree Nation, said she found out about the upcoming auction two weeks ago when browsing online.
“We didn’t receive no notices, no nothing.” Quinney said.
