A spokesperson for the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation believes a new partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council is the first of its kind, bringing outdoors people together with Indigenous communities.

Robert Freberg says it began last year as both organizations got together to talk about mutual goals, objectives and challenges and they realized they had some common ground, so they began to establish the framework for an agreement.

Then came COVID-19. Tribal Chief Mark Arcand established a nutrition program for inner city families after the schools closed down. The Saskatoon Wildlife Federation got on board, raising $50-thousand, rustling up some volunteers and getting together 20-thousand lunches out of their facility.

That’s along with the meals the Tribal Council was already delivering.
Freberg says that cemented the fact they could work together, so Thursday was the official signing of a memorandum of understanding. One of the goals is to educate youth about conservation.