Loon Lake RCMP seeks public assistance locating missing 13-year-old girl, Lyah Partridge

March 28, 2023

On March 27, 2023, at approximately 5 p.m., Loon Lake RCMP received a report of a missing 13-year-old girl, Lyah Partridge.

Lyah was last seen on March 23, 2023 on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation. She may have travelled to Lloydminster, but this can’t be confirmed.

Since receiving the report, Loon Lake RCMP have been checking places Lyah is known to visit and following up on information received and are now asking the public to report sightings of her.

Lyah is described as 5’4″ and 115 lbs. She has brown hair, and a nose and lip piercing. She was last seen wearing a blue hoodie, black pants and Vans shoes. A photo of her is attached.

If you see Lyah or have information on her whereabouts, call Loon Lake RCMP at 306-837-2440. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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NT5

Yorkton RCMP: Requesting public assistance in locating missing 15-year-old male, Dresaun Prettyshield

On March 24, Yorkton RCMP received a report that a 15-year-old male, Dresaun Prettyshield (also goes by Dre), was missing. He was last seen at approximately 3 p.m. leaving a residence in Yorkton that day.

Dresaun is described as being: between 5’9″ and 5’10” tall and approximately 220 lbs. He has short black hair and no facial hair. Dresaun has a birthmark on his upper lip. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt and brown pants. A photo of him is attached.

Dresaun has ties to Regina and Carry the Kettle First Nation, but it has not been confirmed if he has travelled to either of those locations.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Dresaun Prettyshield is asked to contact Yorkton RCMP at 306-786-2400 or by calling 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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NT5

First Nations lays claim to critical minerals and resources

Treaty 6 Territory, Saskatoon SK – First Nations lay claim to all rare earth minerals on Treaty territories, say the leaders of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).

As the province moves forward with the Saskatchewan Growth Plan: the Next Decade of Growth 2020- 2030, First Nations seek inclusion and engagement in the economy.

Today, an announcement by Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter was not discussed with First Nations. Reiter introduced a proposed increase to the Saskatchewan Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (SMETC) from 10 per cent to 30 per cent to entice investment and mining.

FSIN says as the province makes exploration incentives more competitive, First Nations must be included.

“With First Nations people comprising one of the fastest growing youth populations in the province and up-and-coming workforce, we encourage the Saskatchewan government to engage in meaningful inclusion with First Nations in critical mineral mining and resource revenue sharing in the days to come. Rare earth minerals are not exclusively the property of the provincial government. These rare earth minerals are being mined on First Nations’ ancestral and traditional territory. Investors and companies interested in mining rare earth minerals must meet with First Nations chiefs and community leaders to seek their inclusion and approval prior to extracting these non-renewable resources. Our Inherent and Treaty rights guaranteed a century ago, and enshrined in international law, provide us with rights to these minerals,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.

Saskatchewan has 23 of the 31 critical minerals on the Canadian Critical Minerals List, says the province. The 2023 Budget claims to build on Saskatchewan’s position as a global leader in the exploration and mining of critical minerals.

“Our Inherent and Treaty rights need to be accommodated. All of these critical minerals are situated within First Nations’ ancestral and Treaty territory. The budget commits $4.0 million to expand Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentives, including exploration drilling for all hard-rock minerals and increases the funding limit to support emerging commodities. However, before Saskatchewan solicits investments from around the globe, they need to ensure that they consult with First Nations to guarantee Inherent and Treaty rights are not infringed upon and that we are included in economic opportunities in the province we inhabit,” said Fourth Vice Chief Heather Bear.

FSIN says the Growth Plan excludes First Nations and is racist in its attempt to harvest natural resources without engaging First Nations people and including them in economic opportunities going forward. Besides rare earth mining, the province says the Growth Plan goals for the year 2030 are to increase potash sales to $9 billion, double the size of the forestry industry, and increase oil production to 600,000 barrels per day. FSIN leaders say this is a plan to strip the resources from the land without depositing any wealth into First Nations coffers.

“Once non-renewable resources are extracted from the ground they are gone forever. Once the wealth has been dispersed and spent, it’s gone. We’d like to work with the province to create a resource revenue sharing agreement to ensure our First Nations people are included in employment opportunities and First Nations companies are considered for contracts,” said Fourth Vice Chief Heather Bear, Lands and Resources Portfolio holder.

SOURCES:

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/budget-planning-and-reporting/plan-for-growth/30-goals-for-2030

About FSIN

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents 73 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Lisa Risom

Director of Communications

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations

10 – 134 Kahkewistahaw Crescent

Treaty Six Territory

Saskatoon, SK S7R 0M9

Cell: 306-987-0505 | FSIN Office: 306-665-1215

Email: [email protected]

NT5

We need to break those barriers’: Sask. model becomes first Indigenous person to open for Dior fashion show – CTV News

March 29, 2023

An 18-year-old Saskatchewan woman became the first Indigenous model to open for a Dior fashion show, in late February. Now the model, from Fishing Lake First Nation, advocates for more representation on the runway.

Heather Diamond Strongarm wants to see more Indigenous people in the fashion industry.

“Indigenous people’s contributions to the fashion industry are often appropriated or overlooked, so we need to break those barriers and show people that we’re still here,” Strongarm told CTV News.

She was recently named Vogue’s ‘Top 10 Standout Models of Fall 2023’.

“I was shocked when I saw it. I didn’t think I would be one of the top 10 models,” she said.

Read More: https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/we-need-to-break-those-barriers-sask-model-becomes-first-indigenous-person-to-open-for-dior-fashion-show-1.6334064

MGBHLM First Nation holds first-of-its kind uplifting gala – SaskToday.ca

Dozens of artists, including powwow dancers, musicians, a comedian, and a motivational speaker, highlighted the gala honoring recently passed Young Boady and a young first nation boy Kynyon Starchief-Walkingbear as he battles cancer.

MGBHLM FIRST NATION – Major themes at MGBHLM’s first-ever Uplifting Gala included community healing, lifting up Indigenous voices, and togetherness.

The first-of-its-kind event was held to both honour and remember Anita Moosimin’s nephew, Young Boady, uplift other budding First Nation talents in the community, and raise funds to support their guest of honour, Kynyon Starchief-Walkingbear and his family, as he fights cancer.

The event included budding First Nation talent such as,

Cheyenna (Shy) Sapp, a stand-up comedian from Little Pine First Nation currently finishing a degree at USask in the arts, Dakota (Dekoy) Shepherd, a grass dancer, musician, and motivational speaker, and various musicians and dancers from the area.

Read More: https://www.sasktoday.ca/north/battlefords-news-optimist/mgbhlm-first-nation-holds-first-of-its-kind-uplifting-gala-6766508

FSIN says 2023-24 Sask. budget doesn’t do enough for First Nations – CBC

Mar 28, 2023

More than 1/3 of $249.1 million in First Nation funding comes from gaming payments

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents Saskatchewan’s First Nations, says it is disappointed with the province’s 2023-24 provincial budget.

Approximately $249.1 million is budgeted for First Nation and Métis people and organizations in the upcoming fiscal year. The province says this is the most ever in a Saskatchewan budget.

FSIN vice-chief Heather Bear says First Nations deserve more funding because Saskatchewan’s economy is largely driven by natural resources taken from ancestral and treaty territory.

“It simply just isn’t enough,” Bear said.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/fsin-disappointed-2023-2024-budget-1.6793423

Where the Children Are Buried – The Walrus

Mar. 29, 2023

Thousands of Indigenous children died at residential schools across Canada. This is the story of one community’s search for unmarked graves

Jenny Rose spyglass was three years old when the men came for her. It was September 1944 in present-day west-central Saskatchewan, where the prairie grass grows wild and the contours of the sky seem infinite. Spyglass’s family home—in Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation—lay nestled in the Eagle Hills, surrounded by wheat fields, chokecherry, and willow, land roamed by elk, lynx, and coyotes. She lived in one of several Indigenous communities in the vicinity of the Thunderchild Indian Residential School, run by the Roman Catholic Church, some sixty kilometres away.

As Spyglass recalls, her family lived in poverty—her father had recently been deployed by the Canadian military, leaving her mother to care for six children. That fall day, Spyglass remembers, a black vehicle drove up the gravel road and approached her house. A few men emerged: federally appointed Indian agents—who enforced Ottawa’s policies across First Nations reserves and Indigenous communities in Canada—and two priests. The men pointed at Spyglass as her mother pled. “I hung on to my mom,” she says. The men snatched her from her mother’s grip and tossed her, along with her two elder brothers, Martin and Reggie, into the back of the vehicle. During the drive, Spyglass fell asleep and later awoke to children sobbing and gathered near another vehicle. All of them had been torn from their homes in neighbouring reserves—Moosomin, Poundmaker, Sweetgrass, and Red Pheasant, among others—after their parents were threatened with jail or fines if they resisted their child’s attendance at the Thunderchild school. The children were transported to the school, located in what is now Delmas, a remote hamlet off the Yellowhead Highway.

Read More: https://thewalrus.ca/where-the-children-are-buried/

Île-à-la-Crosse Survivors Come Together to Demand Saskatchewan and Canada Negotiate a Fair Resolution during Inspiring and Powerful Weekend Conference

Saskatoon, SK, March 28, 2023 – Following a critical and historic conference, the Île-à-la-Crosse Survivors Committee, with support from the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S), commends and honours the Survivors for their enduring resiliency and strength. Coming together in a safe environment reaffirms Survivors’ calls for both the federal and provincial governments to work with them to negotiate a fair and just resolution for the horrific abuse they endured at these government run “schools”.

“This weekend was the first time that many Survivors were able to come together – some were reunited for the first time since they left the school decades ago,” explained Île-à-la-Crosse Survivors Committee member Duane Favel, “For many, it was the first opportunity to speak to other Survivors about their time at the school, reaffirming and validating their experiences. I believe that this weekend has given many Survivors a real opportunity to begin the healing journey that they have been looking for their whole lives.”

The emotional weekend saw many tears and laughter shared among the Elders, Survivors, and family members present. This gathering was the first of its kind for the Survivors of Île-à-la-Crosse.

“We have heard clearly from our Survivors that they want more opportunities to come together and heal as a community,” stated MN–S Vice President Michelle LeClair, “Community is at the centre of our Nation. We have heard the Survivors and are committed to ensuring they have more opportunities to gather and continue their journey toward healing and justice.”

Survivors and their families were also updated on the status of the new legal action brought forward on their behalf against both the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan. Throughout the weekend Survivors called for both governments to come to the table and negotiate in good faith and expressed their desire for swift resolution.

“Survivors were clear, they want a quick resolution to this court case, but that cannot happen if Canada and Saskatchewan aren’t at the table to negotiate with our Survivors in good faith,” stated LeClair. “Survivors expressed their disappointment and frustration with the lack of action on the part of Saskatchewan. We will continue to push the

provincial government to do what is right and that is to negotiate with the Survivors before it is too late. Every year we lose more Survivors, we cannot have any more delays or excuses.”

A group of Survivors representing the Île-à-la-Crosse Survivors Committee now head to Toronto to participate in the National Gathering on Unmarked Burials, where they will be speaking on several panels to further awareness of Île-à-la-Crosse and the Métis experience in the residential school system.

More information on the weekend’s events and the Île-à-la-Crosse Residential School can be found at United4Survivors.ca.

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About the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School Steering Committee

The Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School Steering Committee Inc. is comprised of 12 board members representing twenty communities in Northwest Saskatchewan. The committee has been actively advocating for Survivors of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School for over twenty years. Founding members of the committee include Antoinette Lafleur, Emile Janvier, Margaret Aubichon, and Duane Favel.

About Métis Nation–Saskatchewan

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) is the recognized government of the Métis Nation in Saskatchewan. MN–S is built on a foundation of Métis identity, culture, values, and language. MN–S works to advance Métis rights and recognition. MN–S represents the political, socioeconomic, cultural, and educational interests of more than 80,000 Métis in the province through an elected representative system at local, regional, and provincial levels.

For Media Inquiries:
Rena Montgomerie
MN-S Senior Communications Officer
[email protected]
306-250-1092

NT5

Town recognizes Métis Culture Week with flag-raising ceremony – battlefordsNOW

Mar 27, 2023

A number of events are planned in the Battlefords to celebrate Métis Culture Week which runs from March 27 to April 1.

The week was launched with a flag-raising ceremony Monday outside Battleford Town Hall.

“We put it up earlier last year. But we needed a new one, and they had a new flag change,” Mayor Ames Leslie told battlefordsNOW. “Local president Bill Kennedy [Western Region 1A, Métis Nation – Saskatchewan], a group of members of the local chapter, and an Elder came by, and we put it up. It’s just a continual relationship that we are working on to improve our relations with the Métis people in our community, and partake in a few more festivities of their week here as well.”

Doug Laing, acting as Deputy Mayor, and councillors Judy Pruden and Shelley Boutin-Gervais took part in the flag-raising event on behalf of town council.

Read More: https://battlefordsnow.com/2023/03/27/town-recognizes-metis-culture-week-with-flag-raising-ceremony/

All critical minerals and rare earth elements belong to First Nations: FSIN – battlefordsNOW

Mar 27, 2023

A statement by the FSIN says that all rare earth elements and critical minerals in the province belong to First Nations.

The statement is a response to what the organization says is a failure by the province to consult with First Nations about an increase in the mineral exploration tax credit, which went from 10 per cent to 30 per cent.

“Our Inherent and Treaty rights guaranteed a century ago, and enshrined in international law, provide us with rights to these minerals,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.

Saskatchewan has 23 of the 31 critical minerals on the Canadian Critical Minerals List, says the province. The 2023 Budget claims to build on Saskatchewan’s position as a global leader in the exploration and mining of critical minerals.

Read More: https://battlefordsnow.com/2023/03/27/all-critical-minerals-and-rare-earth-elements-belong-to-first-nations-fsin/

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