AFN Manitoba Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse is applauding the Federal Justice Minister who said he may attempt to rescind the 1930 Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (NRTA) with the Prairie provinces.. MAID David Lametti .“I applaud Justice Minister Lametti’s acknowledgment there are issues to review on how the NRTA does not align with Treaty or International Human Rights standards and how that impacts First Nations,” Woodhouse said in a statement sent to the Western Standard Wednesday..“Frankly, this discussion is long overdue, and First Nations have been preparing for this discussion for decades.”.On Tuesday, a joint statement was released by Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith..The Prairie premiers say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to tell Canadians immediately federal Justice Minister David Lametti was not speaking on behalf of the federal government when he said he would look at rescinding the 1930 NRTA with the Prairie provinces and strip away their constitutional authority and control over natural resources..READ MORE: Prairie premiers tell Trudeau to retract justice minister's 'dangerous and divisive comments'.“These agreements recognized the Prairie provinces with the same rights over resources that all other provinces already had,” the statement read..“Those rights have been fundamental to the people and the economic autonomy of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta for nearly 100 years. The federal government cannot unilaterally change the Constitution. It should not even be considering stripping resource rights away from the three Prairie provinces.”.The three premiers then called on Trudeau to correct the comments of his Justice minister..“The prime minister needs to immediately retract these dangerous and divisive comments by his justice minister,” the statement said..Woodhouse said the NRTA is a violation of the treaty and is not compliant with their inherent treaty rights..“When my great grandfather, Chief Richard Woodhouse, signed Treaty 2 with the federal Crown in 1871, he was promised the land was to be shared with settlers,” Woodhouse said..“He was told only the top six inches of the soil was needed for agriculture. Like all Chiefs of the prairie provinces, he was promised that the resources were not being sold without discussions with our people. We must remember that neither Alberta, Saskatchewan nor Manitoba existed at this time.”.Woodhouse said in 1930, Canada unilaterally transferred natural resources to the three Prairie provinces without their consent and which was against the agreement of their treaties..“In addition, despite the language in the NRTA to respect treaty rights, all three provinces regularly have violated these terms and have attacked the rights of our people,” Woodhouse said..“Provincial governments sold resources to others while blocking the ability of First Nations to benefit from our own lands and resources.”.Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said, “Trudeau's Justice Minister David Lametti threatened to overturn the constitution and take federal control over provincial resources.”.“I’ll never allow this attack by the costly coalition on our prairie resource workers.”.Woodhouse said she has hope..“We have strategies, and we have the will to work with our many allies across Canada,” Woodhouse said..“First Nations are working with other Canadians to begin reshaping law in Canada. Over the past 50 years, we have made a significant impact on human rights law at the international level. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is just one aspect of that successful advocacy.”.Woodhouse said she's also been successful in encouraging many resource companies to acknowledge that her consent and participation in benefits (including equity participation) from their lands is a prerequisite for successful, inclusive development in Canada..“Now it’s time provincial governments recognize and accept that our inherent and treaty rights cannot be unilaterally extinguished nor can they simply be ignored,” Woodhouse said..“That colonial mindset is disappearing. Times are changing.”
