Treaty Rights & Environmental Protection

Our main priority is to correspond and interact with community members, industry sectors, ministry and government agencies regarding our collective Treaty 8 Rights to ensure that meaningful consultation is achieved when reviewing resource development projects.

Our goal is to ensure the Nation has a clear understanding of the impacts to our treaty rights as guaranteed under the Constitution section 35.

Some services that involve community input and participation to help gather local knowledge would include:

  • Community Moose Meetings
  • Caribou Penning Projects
  • Community Scoping Meetings
  • Lichen picking Excursions
  • Berry Picking Excursions

Conservation and Environmental Updates

Increased Traffic in Community During Conference

SFN is hosting the Healing The Land Conference from October 7th-10th this week at the Cultural Centre and the SFN Band Hall. Please be aware that there will be a […]

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Healing The Land Speaker Announcement!

2024 Speaker Line-up Announced, Discover Today! Saulteau First Nations, host of the 2024 Healing the Land Conference, is excited to announce the conference speaker line-up! With a focus on collaboration, […]

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Healing The Land Registration Is Open!

Saulteau First Nations, host of the 2024 Healing the LandConference, is excited to announce attendee registration is open! Join Indigenous leaders, federal, provincial, and local governments, restoration practitioners, and industry […]

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Call for Submissions: Healing the Land Conference Poster Board Session

We are excited to announce a call for submissions for the Healing the Land Conference Poster Board Session, taking place from October 7-10, 2024, at the Saulteau First Nations Cultural […]

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Caribou Guardian Program

Caribou were once abundantly seen on the landscape and were a source of subsistence, but colonization, human settlements and intensive habitat destruction from industry resulted in a collapse in population numbers. The loss of this integral animal left the community unable to harvest caribou and has infringed on treaty rights. Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations came together with a collaborative vision to bring back the caribou population; this vision led to the Caribou Partnership Agreement with British Columbia and Canda. For over 10 years this agreement has led to collaboratively implementing management and research for the Klinse-Za Mountain Caribou Herd.

A multi-pronged approach is used, maternal penning, reduction in predators, and restoration of habitat. SFN is part of all aspects of the project from; caribou guardians watching over the maternal pen, community members trapping predators, land guardians assisting with restoration work to the TREP staff providing knowledge and support to the program. In 2013 there were under 40 animals left, we have boosted the population to over 140 in 2024!

Caribou Guardian Program in the News & Scholarly Articles

Video Features

TREP and Lands – Contacts

Name
Title
Phone
Email
Naomi Owens-Beek
Manager Treaty Rights & Environmental Protection
(250) 788-7259
 Ext. 2121
Teena Demeulemeester
Assistant Manager
(250) 788-6912
 Ext. 2120
Sandra Alexander
Executive Assistant
(250) 788-7290
 Ext. 2123
Fernie Garbitt
Referral Technician - Oil & Gas
(250) 788-7289
 Ext. 2122
John Stokmans
Referral Technician - Mining & Natural Resources
(250) 788-7363
 Ext. 2125
Lisa Hardy
Referral Technician - Forestry & Wildlife
Tom Aird
Natural Resource Sector - Aboriginal Liaison
(250) 788-3955
 Ext. 2119
Ryan McKay
Lands & Resources Planner
(250) 788-7362
 Ext. 2124
Eric Boakye-Danquah
Geographic Information System Technician
Jess Eastman
Guardian Program Supervisor
(250) 780-3955
 Ext. 2118
Jordan Demeulemeester
Senior Land Guardian
(250) 401-7599
 Ext. 2117
Hunter Gentry Junior
Land Guardian