(Web photo/Poundmaker Cree Nation)

By Angela Brown

Affirming treaty rights

Poundmaker Cree Nation says it is pulling out of FSIN to go independent

Oct 12, 2022 | 5:37 PM

Poundmaker Cree Nation issued a news release Wednesday saying it is withdrawing its membership from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.

The statement said the Cree Nation believes the FSIN has “lost its vision to preserving and protecting treaty rights.”

Chief Duane Antoine told battlefordsNOW the First Nation is concerned the FSIN may be involved in too many other initiatives and losing its focus.

“The FSIN was established for treaty protection,” he said. “Now they are going all over the place with gaming and stuff like that. Then, they are making deals with the province. That’s not very good business with me anyway.”

Antoine said the First Nation wants to deal directly with the federal government for the future, and stand on its own.

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“Poundmaker Cree Nation is an independent Nation, not affiliated or represented by the FSIN in any capacity, and will represent itself directly with the federal and provincial governments on its own desired self-determined initiatives that support treaty and inherent rights with the terms of Treaty 6,” he said.

The chief said the Cree Nation is in need of more funding for more housing for its members, as a priority. He said Poundmaker First Nation hopes by reaching the federal government one-on-one it will have a better chance of accessing more funds for its community’s needs.

Antoine noted there is no cost to the nation to be a member of the FSIN. But the band is concerned funds may be trickling down through the various organizations, like the FSIN, instead of going directly to the First Nations.

“We want to have direct funding…,” he said. “We need money here. As a chief of Poundmaker, we signed the treaties with the federal government. That’s why we don’t want anybody else talking on our behalf anymore. That’s why we are doing this.”

Antoine said this is not the first time the First Nation left the FSIN.

“We had a fallout years ago, and then we went back in,” he said. “But we’re pulling out now.”

Antoine said he is aware that Poundmaker Cree Nation is not the only First Nation that has chosen to be independent from the FSIN.

“We decided as a council we want to pull out,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with pulling out. We want to have a direct relationship with the federal government. That’s why we’re not treaty partners with the provinces. We’re treaty partners with the federal government; that’s who we are, have to make our partnership agreements with – the federal government. That’s who we have the treaty obligations with. They have a treaty obligation to deal with any reserve, not just Poundmaker.”

The FSIN could not be immediately reached for comment when contacted by battlefordsNOW.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow