SASKATOON — Whitecap Dakota First Nation signed a Treaty with the Government of Canada, making it the latest Indigenous community to earn self-government status on Tuesday, May 2, in Ottawa.
Whitecap Dakota Nation Chief Darcy Bear and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller signed A Self-Government Treaty Recognizing the Whitecap Dakota Nation/Wapaha Ska Dakota Oyate. The Treaty recognizes them as one of the Aboriginal Peoples in the country.
The Treaty is an opportunity for Whitecap Dakota Nation to move out from the Indian Act, implement their right to self-govern and ensure increased control in decision-making that would affect their First Nation community. The Treaty is another step on their journey to formalize the self-governance of their land through the framework agreement on First Nation land management.
“Our Treaty with Canada affirms our place as Dakota peoples alongside all other Aboriginal Peoples with constitutional protections. It also establishes a Whitecap Dakota government with the tools and status to continue to build our nation and contribute to Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole,” said Bear.
Miller congratulated the Whitecap Dakota Nation’s leadership, its elders and everyone who worked in creating the Treaty, from the negotiations to the historic signing, as it is long overdue and rightfully owed to their community.
“This Treaty will set the foundation of our nation-to-nation relationship by formally recognizing Whitecap Dakota Nation as an Aboriginal People of Canada under section 35 of the [1982] Constitution Act and affirming their inherent right of self-government. I look forward to continuing our work on all our shared priorities and supporting your vision of a better future for your People,” said Miller.
The Treaty results from a more than 10-year-long journey for the Whitecap Dakota Nation to gain self-government status. Their negotiations with the Canadian Government started in 2009 and ended in April 2023.
After the Whitecap Dakota Nation community approves the signed Treaty, federal legislation is the next step for the self-government status to take effect. Whitecap Dakota Nation must also pass laws to create and run its self-governance.
The Treaty is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan and was co-developed by Whitecap Dakota Nation officials and their counterparts at the Government of Canada. The Treaty affirms the Whitecap Dakota Nation’s inherent rights to self-govern under the 1982 Constitution Act.
The Treaty allows Whitecap Dakota Nation to manage their natural resources, membership, cultural matters, language revitalization and preservation, education, financial management and accountability, and health and social services.
The Treaty has two key elements to provide clarity and alignment on the Whitecap Dakota Nation’s vision for self-governance to meet their distinct circumstances, goals and priorities. Increased funding will support the First Nation to carry out its new responsibilities and invest in community priorities for a better future.
