Reconciliation

The Problem

For generations, settlers have determined the lives of the Indigenous Peoples of this land. The Government of Saskatchewan has made little real attempt to change that.

The Promise

An NCP government will not promise something it cannot keep. We cannot promise that everything will be solved, and all past harms righted. What we will promise is that we will start this journey of healing with open arms, eyes, ears, hearts, and minds.

The Plan

Upon gaining office, the Government of Saskatchewan will formally reach out to all Saskatchewan Treaty Nations, Indigenous, First Nations, and Métis communities and organizations, as well as welcome any non-organized Indigenous voices, to begin the formal process of building the Consent Protocol.

This process will involve facilitated nation-to-nation dialogues with timelines and neutral facilitators, chosen by the Indigenous Nations, to ensure the process is structured, fair, timely, and without provincial dictation. The Province commits to providing no-strings-attached capacity funding to meet this goal and allow the nations the ability to properly participate without disadvantage.

The Consent Protocol will establish clear rules, co-developed with Indigenous nations and organizations, for determining which governing body or bodies must be engaged in any given matter, including cases of shared territory, overlapping interests, Métis representation, urban Indigenous communities, and other situations where more than one Indigenous authority or organization may be affected.

The final, co-developed, Consent Protocol will be a binding requirement of the Government of Saskatchewan, stating that before being able to proceed on any project, policy, or action that might affect Indigenous lands, communities, waters, heritage, cultures, languages, or livelihoods, the relevant Indigenous governing bodies or organizations must give their free, prior, and informed consent. This must, where relevant, include things such as:

• Cost-sharing
• Revenue-sharing
• Job opportunities
• Capacity funding for those affected

The Government of Saskatchewan will adopt a Saskatchewan UNDRIP Implementation Act, recognizing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a guiding framework for provincial law, policy, and decision-making, and requiring the Government of Saskatchewan to bring provincial action into alignment with it over time.

With partnership from all Saskatchewan Treaty Nations, Indigenous communities, and organizations, a complete and total review of all Government of Saskatchewan activities and initiatives towards completing the 94 Calls to Action must be submitted to the Legislature within the first term of an NCP government. As well, every ministry, Crown, agency, or government body must submit a detailed plan on how it will achieve each of the 94 Calls to Action that are possible within its scope and ability.

Two new provincial offices will be established: the Office for the Reconciliation Commissioner and the Office of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 2 Spirit People (MMIWG2S). Each will be co-governed and co-developed with Indigenous communities and organizations.

The Right of First Refusal on provincial Crown land sales will be provided through a framework co-developed with First Nations, Métis governments, and other relevant Indigenous governing bodies, so that the Indigenous peoples most directly connected to the land are offered the first opportunity before any private sale.

And the first September 30 after the NCP forms government shall be the first statutory holiday in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

For all new or newly expanded resource or energy projects in the province, an NCP government of Saskatchewan commits to a trilateral ownership structure. This will involve the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Resource Trust. The Trust will be established through the same nation-to-nation process as the Consent Protocol with its own capacity funding, timelines, and neutral facilitators, chosen by the Indigenous Nations. The Province will provide additional, no-strings-attached, capacity funding for this purpose.

See Policy 15 - Resource and Energy Sovereignty for more.

What comes next cannot be dictated. It can only be walked, hand in hand, together.

The Funding

Operating funds for the Offices will be received as statutory, multi-year funding from the General Revenue Fund. This must include capacity funding for Consent Protocols to ensure Indigenous nations and organizations can fully participate in the consent processes with their own legal, technical, and Elders' support.

What It Means For You

It means listening.

It means working together.

It means the dignity in trying to heal.

FAQ

• What is the Consent Protocol?
• It is a binding provincial framework that requires the Government of Saskatchewan to obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of the relevant Indigenous governing body or bodies before proceeding with projects, policies, or actions that may affect Indigenous lands, communities, waters, heritage, culture, language, or livelihoods.


• Does this give Indigenous Nations a veto over all government decisions?
• No. The Consent Protocol applies specifically to decisions that may affect Indigenous rights, lands, communities, waters, heritage, culture, language, or livelihoods. It is a framework for real consent and partnership in matters that affect Indigenous peoples, not a blanket veto over all unrelated government action.


• What are the 94 Calls to Action?
• They are the recommendations issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada after investigating the history and legacy of residential schools. The NCP commits to fully implementing every Call to Action that falls within provincial authority, and to building concrete implementation plans for the rest in partnership with Indigenous nations and organizations.


• What is the Saskatchewan UNDRIP Implementation Act?
• It is the law that will recognize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a guiding framework for provincial law, policy, and decision-making, and require the Government of Saskatchewan to bring its actions into alignment with that framework over time.


• Will September 30 become a day off?
• Yes. The first September 30 after the NCP forms government will become a statutory holiday in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.


• How will the Right of First Refusal on Crown Land work?
• It will be governed by a framework co-developed with First Nations, Métis governments, and other relevant Indigenous governing bodies, so that the Indigenous peoples most directly connected to the land are offered the first opportunity before any private sale.


• How is this funded?
• Through statutory, multi-year funding from the General Revenue Fund. This funding will also include capacity support so Indigenous nations and organizations can fully participate in consent processes with their own legal, technical, and Elders' support.