'They are impacted big time': First Nations respond to cuts in provincial budget

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says its communities will feel the impact of cuts in the provincial budget.
 
The FSIN expressed disappointment over operational funding being cut to its partner institution, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.
 
Post-secondary institutions across the board saw their funding chopped by 5 per cent, something Chief Bobby Cameron said is shortsighted.
 
“No matter what kind of deficit any government is in, investing in education should always be a priority,” he said.
 
It remains to be seen what effects the cuts will have on SIIT’s capacity to deliver programming to First Nations students.
 
Cameron also commented on the elimination of Saskatchewan Transportation Company, saying it will be felt by First Nations and Non-First Nations in remote communities.  
 
“They are impacted big time. How are they going to address their transportation needs?” he said, pointing to the elderly and those on fixed incomes who rely on the government-funded buses to get to appointments.
 
Cameron said they are also watching what happens to the 50 government-owned pastures after they announced the phasing out of the program.
 
First Nations argue they should have first right to the pastures should the government decide to sell them.
 
“The Crown lands, the provincial parks, the national parks (and) the wildlife lands are all ancestor lands. We’ll do what we can to protect it, “Cameron said.
 
The FSIN threatened legal action before the budget in response to the government auctioning off 60 parcels of Crown land and Cameron turned up the rehetoric on Thursday.
 
“Something is coming up in the next week or so,” he warned.
 
The Ministry of Agriculture will be holding consultation meetings with stakeholders and a survey to decide what to do with the pastures.