The Nation would like to send a Huge Thank You to the community volunteers of a 4-day weed picking program held in collaboration with the Lands Department, Capital and Infrastructure […]
The Lands Office is tasked with administering, managing, and protecting our reserve lands. Its duties include:
This work is done with the understanding that it is an administrative framework for reserve-specific matters. It is not a substitute for our inherent governance rights or our nation-to-nation relationship under our Treaty, which is rooted in the oral traditions and teachings of our ancestors.
The Nation would like to send a Huge Thank You to the community volunteers of a 4-day weed picking program held in collaboration with the Lands Department, Capital and Infrastructure […]
Common Burdock might look harmless, but it's actually a highly invasive weed that poses a serious threat to native plants, local wildlife, and the health of our ecosystems. Known for […]
We would like to send a Huge Thank You to everyone who participated in today’s tree planting event at the Industrial Park! This project couldn’t have been possible without the […]
Thank you to those who participated in our Thursday, April 3rd Land Code Community Engagement session. The day was full of insight and with great questions brought forward to our […]
This portion of the webpage is dedicated to sharing important information about the Saulteau First Nations Land Code and the details of its vote with our members.
Our Land Code Journey: The Evolution of Saulteau’s Land Code - See where we’re at in our Land Code Process, in collaboration with Community, Log in to the Members Only Portal here.
Land Code is an administrative tool designed to manage reserve lands and decision-making under Canadian law. It is not a self-governance agreement or a nation-to-nation relationship. Importantly, it does not diminish our inherent Treaty rights, which are rooted in peace, sharing, and coexistence, as envisioned by our ancestors.
We uphold that our Treaty, guided by oral traditions passed down by our ancestors, continues to affirm our sovereignty and rights as a Nation. Unlike Canada’s dominance-based perspective, our worldview recognizes that all living things belong to the land. We are committed to protecting our sacred laws and ensuring that decisions are rooted in balance, mutual respect, and interconnectedness.
While the Land Code is a necessary administrative tool for now, it does not replace our long-term vision of developing our sacred laws and achieving a true nation-to-nation relationship. Mechanisms are being designed to ensure that decisions under the Land Code align with our values and do not infringe on our sacred Treaties.
Our approach aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and emphasizes the role of Indigenous Nations in interpreting Treaties through oral traditions. These traditions guide us in ensuring that our Treaties are not eroded through administrative processes.
Land code is a land law developed by our Nation that, if approved by our voting members, will remove the power the federal government currently has to make decisions on our reserve lands and place it back in the hands of our people.
Saulteau First Nations (SFN) is currently in the development stages of land code, in an effort to regain the governance of our Reserve lands from the federal government and return it to our community members and First Nation as a whole.
SFN is a signatory to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management. This Framework Agreement provides First Nations with the option to govern their Reserve lands and resources under their own land codes, free from interference by the federal government and Indian Act.
In order for us to regain jurisdiction over our Reserve lands and operate outside the Indian Act, we must have the consent of the SFN membership by means of a vote.
The Lands Department and the Land Code Committee diligently research and share information regarding the negative and positive impacts of adopting a Land Code. We are always looking for information from other First Nations’ experiences, so we can tailor a Land Code to what SFN needs and ensure that we create an acceptable draft for community members to vote on.
We collaborate closely with many First Nations and do our best to obtain information directly from the source. We are known to contact Chief and Council’s, Lands Departments, Band Managers, etc. for answers and recommendations.
We are also in the habit of seeking Saulteau’s legal firm for counsel when needed.
Should a conflict arise between this Land Code, our Sacred Laws, and/or our Treaty, the latter shall prevail. Our Sacred Laws and Treaty are paramount, and we remain committed to ensuring that they guide our decisions and processes.
To address potential conflicts, we will implement measures that ensure remedies are in harmony with the true spirit and intent of our Treaty and Sacred Laws. These mechanisms will ensure that our governance remains rooted in our traditional values, oral testimonies, and principles of balance and coexistence.
All member registration requests will be reviewed by the Saulteau First Nation staff. Once you have been verified you will be emailed instructions on how to log in to the members' only area of the website.