FSIN expect more lobbying, more advocacy with Wall win

Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party was re-elected Monday taking 63 per cent of the popular vote and 51 of 61 seats. It’s Wall’s third term as premier.

The election victory means that the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations will push harder to get further in an agenda that is based on inherent and treaty rights.

“No matter who gets elected to any provincial or federal government, the onus is on us as First Nations’ elected officials to do more lobbying or advocating to ensure that our voices are heard, that our presence are at these tables when our issues are being discussed and decided on,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.

Over the course of the Sask Party’s tenure, Cameron says some headway has been made. He points to a “good working relationship” that has been developed between himself and Education Minister Don Morgan as they focus on kindergarten to Grade 12 education both on and off reserve.

But Cameron admits there are many areas – jurisdiction for child and family services and resource development, to name but two – in which considerable work is still needed.

In his victory speech, Wall talked about a “government that’s proud” of oil, gas, and mining. He did not refer to working with Indigenous peoples in resource development.

“Every leader has their right to voice their own opinion. Premier Brad Wall’s position is that no special group will benefit from resource revenue,” said Cameron. “It’s our intention at FSIN to continue on that same path and we’ll continue saying that same message to the Sask Party and the federal government.”

Now is the time, he adds, as the province’s economy has experienced a downturn. Cameron says there are First Nations that have resources on their lands, who are willing to move forward with development as long as there is membership approval and proper consultation takes place.

But Dr. Shauneen Peet, an associate professor in Aboriginal education at the University of Regina, says consultation has never been a strong point with the Wall government and that means Indigenous people will have to be even more focused on prioritizing the issues they want to see addressed and to continuously and clearly communicate those issues.

“This government, even though I know they’re not necessarily motivated to do so, they should really take seriously free, prior and informed consent. They should really take seriously the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” she said.

Peet says as the Indigenous population continues to grow, as they continue to become more informed and more educated, they will continue to push back and continue to push for inclusion and change. It’s action, she says, that will be necessary with the Wall government that has shown it follows a path similar to that of the Harper government.

“(We need to) provide (to Indigenous people) a measure of education and model how to engage in non-violent protests and activism,” she said. “(The government is) not listening when we hold protests and they’ve been dismissive with the kind of position papers we’re presenting … so we have to find a way.”

Peet is heartened by court cases that continually favour Indigenous people against government and the oil and gas industry and see these gains as a way to push the Sask Party.

But, she admits, Wall’s re-election with the strong numbers he received “doesn’t give me a lot of hope.”

Cameron takes a different view despite a provincial election campaign that contained little discussion of First Nations issues.

“Now we have a federal government who’s willing and happy to have our voice and our presence at the table and now we’re optimistic and we’re hopeful the provincial government will be more open in that sense,” he said.