Saddle Lake Cree Nation

Um, my name is Norma Large.

I'm from the Oichi Xkopin, uh, Cree Nation, which is, uh, in English terms called the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Treaty Number 6 territory.

Uh, I currently live in Treaty 7 territory in the city of Calgary, um, but I was just home.

And, you know, this conversation comes at the end of a, of a time, and it goes to kind of the, the, the work that both Gwen and I do, and that is that there's a responsibility that comes with this question.

Um, and, and I know that this is a conversation that, that is happening around all of this.

They are entirely tied.

And so what happens then in a deal that gets made around an MOU for, um, fast-tracking major projects in our territories is that that gets sidelined as- Historical gobbledygook, and really the reality is that all we need to do is consult with First Nations and checkbox that we consulted with Saddle Lake Cree Nation, we consulted with Big Stone, with Mikisew, with Sturgeon.

And, and because Canada and Alberta have processes, huge processes built around that, the conversation is brought down to this simple conversation around how many First Nations were at that meeting.

Should I take out my brain to leave them in? stars in the making do I got what it takes though that always told me I was a lion why do I feel like a mouse cornered by a giant should I take

from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Tia Wood, off the 2024 EP Pretty Red Bird.

That was Dirt Roads, covered by Jeremy Dutcher at the exceptional show at the National Music Center for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation a couple weeks back.

My name is Tasha and this is Good Egg on CJSW 90.9 FM.

Otherwise, reserve land would remain part of Canada, creating a sort of patchwork of Alberta land and Canada land.

I also spoke to Janice Makokis, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor, who is from Saddle Lake Cree Nation here in Alberta.

She says it's important to remember that the numbered treaties are considered international treaties between nations and can't easily be broken.

The land that reserves sit on fall under federal jurisdiction and that's directly related to the international treaties that we made with the imperial crown that now Canada has the legal obligation to follow through in implementing and they also have a fiduciary obligation to First Nations.