The governing Saskatchewan Party is weighing a dramatic policy shift in the hopes of putting a stop to what it calls “inappropriate” access to provincial lands and waters by First Nations people.
According to the Minister, the decision to arm its conservation officers with semi-automatic AR-15 rifles has not had the desired effect on Indigenous people harvesting food in areas they have lived on for millennia.
“The challenge is, no matter how much we try to restrict their access, a few of them still find a way to hunt or fish,” said Greg Grountson, Minister of Natural and Indigenous Resources.
“That’s why we’re going with Plan B, to solve this issue once and for all.”
In essence, that “plan”— Operation Scorned Earth—is to denude the province of all its wooded areas as well as drain every fish-bearing body of water. As the minister summarized it: “Not a twig, nor a drop.”
Asked whether the moves might have the effect of denying everyone access, Grountson replied: “If that’s what it takes to ensure only the correct Saskatchewanians possess and exploit these resources, it’ll be worth it.”
In other news from the government, a new committee has been struck to look at changing the province’s name to something less Indigenous sounding.