b'OUTFITTINGFirst NationsOutfitting in SaskatchewanTHERE ARE CURRENTLY 34 SASKATCHEWAN FIRST the ability to decimate the First Nations outfitting industry Nations with outfitting businesses operating on their reservein Saskatchewan, particularly when U.S. clients are issued lands. According to provincial regulations, First Nationstickets and are told that they are engaging in unlawful outfitting businesses operating on reserve lands are requiredactivity. This is an unresolved jurisdictional dispute between to obtain export permits from the Ministry of EnvironmentFirst Nations and the Province of Saskatchewan. (MoE) so their clients may transport the meat, hide and trophy of their harvested animal across provincial and theIn May 2022, the Chiefs in Assembly adopted a resolution Canada/U.S. border. Prior to 2016, MoE issued as manysupporting any legal action taken against the Province for export permits as the outfitter required for their clients. interfering in First Nations inherent and Treaty right to But in 2016, the MoE notified First Nations that theyeconomic development on reserve. First Nations have an intended to limit the number of export permits they issuedinherent and Treaty right to economic development, and to outfitting businesses on First Nations based on what theyFirst Nations have exclusive jurisdiction to regulate business referred to as their Sustainable Harvest Strategy.operations on reservein particular, the number of animals harvested from their reserve lands. First Nations with outfitting operations have shared that thisThe Province has never demonstrated that there is a is an infringement on their jurisdiction and underminedconservation concern due to First Nations outfitting on their inherent and Treaty right to economic development.reserve and has not justified their infringement on First Further, the development of the Provinces SustainableNations jurisdiction. Given the small amount of land taken Harvest Strategy was done with no consultations with Firstup by reserves in this province, and in any given region, it Nations and did not include local First Nations knowledgeis impossible for First Nations outfitting to have an impact or expertise, nor did they include local data.on the regions wildlife population levels. Debating over Since 2016, the Province has indicated that they area handful of tags here and there, particularly when the committed to developing and implementing an enhancedProvince has no data from First Nation lands, is not about engagement process with First Nations regarding itswildlife populations, conservation or scientific calculations arbitrarily imposed Sustainable Harvest Strategy. However, it is political. no engagements with First Nations leadership have takenThis is a huge misallocation of the provinces resources, place. Instead, the Province held sessions with First Nationsmaking no difference to wildlife populations and placing across the province, but not with the First Nations directlya huge and unnecessary burden on First Nations. Wildlife impacted by this policy. populations do not crash in one year or even a few years As a result of the arbitrarily imposed Sustainable Harvestfrom harvesting. That process takes time. If there were Strategy, some First Nations have been issuing theira genuine concern about wildlife in a particular area, own Treaty Export Permits, given the Provinces lack ofthere would be plenty of time for the Province to enter jurisdiction to determine wildlife quotas on respective Firstinto respectful dialogue with First Nations to convey and Nations reserves. Recently, several clients of a First Nationsaddress those concerns. The fact that outfitting has been outfitter were issued tickets for crossing the border without ataking place on reserve for decades demonstrates that the provincial export permit. These actions by the Province havepractice is sustainable.46OUR PRIORITY Issue 12021/22'