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First Peoples Law Report: CTV News: The Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nation (SBDFB) is letting all industry entities know they have a duty to consult framework for all present and future projects.
The announcement comes one week after the Government of Canada issued a formal statement and apology(opens in a new tab) to SBDFB. It was regarding mistreatment of the nation going back over a century.
Sovereignty for the Nation and control of their land are now major focus points.
“We’re giving them notice that our airspace, our land, the water the resources, we never surrendered that,” SBDFB Chief Roger Redman told CTV News.
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“That is what we’re saying and now we’re in a positive position to defend that litigation aggressively.”
The Duty to Consult is the legal obligation of the Crown to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous peoples before decisions are made that may infringe on Aboriginal and treaty rights.
On July 15, the Dakota Dunes Casino just south of Saskatoon was host to the historic apology. Hundreds of tribe members and supporters gathered to witness the event.
Mervin Phillips, a lawyer working with SNDFB says the Nation has been discriminated against in the past. However, the Nation and its members are willing to build a future with others based on reconciliation.
“They don’t want to be regarded as second-class citizens in any way. They want to take their rightful spot in the Canadian constitutional framework and the Canadian business community,” Phillips said.
Redman said the apology and the push for the duty to consult has made it a great time to be a part of the Nation.
He went on to say no other nations have reached out to SBDFN yet, but he would like them to know that they will work with others in pursuing Indigenous sovereignty.
