The government’s duty-to-consult process is broken and it is hurting everyone. Those were the words of Saskatoon Centre NDP MLA Betty Nippy-Albright when she presented a petition in the Saskatchewan Legislature. She says there is only 10 per cent of crown land left and the Sask. Party government has been auctioning off crown land and leases to the highest bidder and haven’t meaningfully consulted with impacted communities.

She says they are breaching the treaty relationship and restricting access to traditional hunting, trapping and traditional medicine picking. Nippy-Albright says the government is also leaving taxpayers to foot the bills when they pay for the mistakes and losses of the government in court.

Betty Nippy-Albright wants the government to immediately develop a new Duty-to-Consult framework, in consultation with First Nations and Metis communities. She says the current framework is hurting businesses and communities in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatoon Centre NDP MLA also presented a petition calling on the government to designate the west lawn at the legislature as the Chief Piapot Cultural Learning grounds. The Saskatoon Centre NDP MLA describes Chief Piapot as an influential leader for First Nations on Treaty 4 who brought his fight for treaty rights to a camp at Pile O’Bones located at what is now the legislative grounds.

She says the west lawn has become a de facto site for what is now Indigenous expression due to its proximity to the legislative assembly and officially designating the site would facilitate the ongoing process of reconciliation.