Onion Lake Cree Nation is suing the Saskatchewan government over autonomy legislation meant to reassert the province’s control over natural resources.
The First Nation, which straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary, filed its statement of claim in Court of Kings Bench in Saskatoon this week, saying the legislation infringes on treaty rights.
The First Nation is arguing the bill was enacted without input, consultation or consideration of Indigenous people, calling it utterly repugnant to the letter and spirit of the treaty.
The province has said the bill, which passed in March, will protect Saskatchewan’s opportunity to grow without federal infringement.
The bill also lets the government set up a tribunal to study the effects of federal environmental policies.
Onion Lake Cree Nation filed a lawsuit against the Alberta government last year over that province’s sovereignty act, also known as Bill 1.
