Download the Lands and Resources Commission List

The Lands and Resources Commission is comprised of representatives appointed from the FSIN Senate, Saskatchewan First Nation Women’s Council, the ten Tribal Councils and the independent First Nations. The FSIN Executive Member charged with the responsibility for lands and resources is the Chair of the Commission.

In 2005 the Lands and Resources Commission, along with the Secretariat staff, held the first in a series of planning sessions. These sessions are part of an ongoing development and renewal process to be incorporated into the regular Commission meetings.

The intent of this process is to examine, identify and establish the overall strategic objectives and implementation work required by the Commission and the staff in their efforts to be more effective. The first session began discussions in the eventual creation of a document that will incorporate:

• the Commission vision;
• the Commission mandate;
• the role and responsibilities of the Commission and the secretariat staff;
• the strategic priority areas; and
• the short and long term objectives and workplans.

This work will continually be reviewed in relation to achievements and objectives reached, and is intended to assist in focussing and guiding the Commission and staff in the work they are mandated to undertake on behalf of the First Nations across Saskatchewan with respect to lands and resources.

One component of this process developed to date include the preliminary draft of the Commission vision and mission statements:

“The First Nations of Saskatchewan, through their inherent and Treaty rights, will establish jurisdiction over the natural resources in their reserves and traditional territories and will ensure effective stewardship and sustainable development of these resources for the benefit of all of their citizens, now and into the future.”

“The Lands and Resources Commission is an effective and accountable entity of the FSIN and will promote First Nations’ ownership, management and control of natural resources through the implementation of both a rights based agenda and a developmental agenda.

The Treaty rights based agenda will include: establishing access and jurisdiction for hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering in all Treaty territories; working with the settle governments in interpreting and implementing our Treaty rights to a revenue share from resource development on our reserved and traditional territories; and settling outstanding land claims based on breaches of Treaty or illegal acts committed pursuant to the Indian Act.

The inherent rights based agenda on self-government will include the development of First Nations laws and regulatory systems that will ensure effective stewardship of lands and resources.

The developmental agenda may include: inter-governmental agreements that will promote partnerships and co-management; set out proper protocols for all areas of natural resource management; promote cooperation; support harvesting that is designed to protect and preserve resources; and ensure sustainable development of resources.

This agenda also includes the development of land and resource use plans and policies, and the development of the human resource capacity to implement them.”