Provincial Governance

In the 1930s the diverse needs of Metis individuals in various areas of the province, coupled with distinct leadership visions and significant geographic distance, resulted in two Metis organizations that represented the Northern and Southern regions of the province, with the dividing line being Saskatoon. In 1967, both groups merged into the pre-existing Métis Society of Saskatchewan, which thenceforth represented both northern and southern regions of the province.

Following the earlier establishment of the Metis association of Alberta, Joe Ross, Joseph Larocque, and other leaders who were based in Regina laid the foundation for the establishment of the Metis Society of Saskatchewan (also known as the Saskatchewan Metis Society), an organization hoping to form an official advocacy/government lobbying group through which they could address socioeconomic marginalization. Led by Joe Ross the organization established new locals outside Regina.

A resolution was passed in the provincial legislature to universally grant the right to vote to Aboriginal people, despite the fact that Aboriginal leaders had not granted their approval.

One hundred and three councillors and Chiefs attended a conference of Indigenous leaders in Fort Qu'Appelle on October 30, 1958, during which Premier T.C. Douglas presented proposals on liquor and voting rights. In an effort to implement an integrationist policy, Douglas sought to pass legislation extending provincial voting rights to First Nations, removing restrictions on the sale of liquor on reserves, and the transfer of responsibility from Indian Affairs to the provincial government. The issue of provincial franchise was controversial since the term resembled "enfranchisement", the term used in the Indian Act to describe a colonial process by which an someone lost their ‘Indian Status,’ gained the vote, and were forced to leave their reserve. Since enfranchisement meant the loss of material goods and a ‘legal identity,’ many First Nations peoples were hesitant to accept the vote. Others felt that allowing liquor on reserves was not in the best interest of their populations.

Following deliberations, those present advised Douglas to wait until further consultations with band members had completed so as to avoid conflict. This conference also saw the creation of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians (FSI), a unified organization for Indigenous peoples across the province. As the government's policies faced rejection Douglas’ government aimed to adopt a more consultative style, and created an Advisory Committee composed of one Indigenous member from each of the nine agencies in the province. The committee was set up to help plan the next conference and consult with members on reserves. A second conference took place at Fort Qu'Appelle on October 20 and 21, 1959. As with the first conference, no consensus was obtained regarding voting and liquor rights.

CCF MLA Berezowsky introduced two private member's resolutions, in 1954 and 1956 respectively, which called for upgraded services for First Nations people to a level comparable to those of non-Indigenous citizens. In addition, the resolutions demanded that First Nations treaty members in Canada be granted full citizenship rights without abrogating any privileges and rights provided by treaties. Both resolutions passed unanimously.

Agreements were negotiated between the federal and provincial governments transferring control over land and natural resources to the provinces; prior jurisdiction had previously been held by the federal government. Reserve and Crown lands were not included in the transfer. However, some of the lands used by Indigenous peoples to hunt/trap/fish now fell under provincial jurisdiction and were subjected to conservation regulations.

The Constitution Act of 1867 outlined that "the Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians” would be under the legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada. This act did not take into account the presence of Métis people and their access to land and traditional territories.

Metis peoples emigrating from Manitoba to the South Saskatchewan River Valley wanted to assert their political authority. The St. Laurent Council’s first assembly was held on 10 December 1872, Gabriel Dumont was elected president. Between 1873 and 1875 twenty eight laws were updated to allow the St. Laurent Council to regulate and oversee various aspects of life in the North West Territories, including the hunt. As deterrents to follow these rules the council would often levy fines. In the spring of 1875 a conflict developed after HBC employee Peter Ballantine violated the rules of the St. Laurent constitution and left for the annual hunt in advance of the main party. With the assent of the general assembly, Gabriel Dumont levied a fine on the offenders. Ballantine complained to HBC officer Lawrence Clark, who asked the local NWMP to intervene. An expedition of fifty NWMP led by Colonel French was sent to pressure the Metis to give up local power. Dumont and the council did so.

The Manitoba Act was passed at the closing of the Red River Resistance in 1870, which provided for the province of Manitoba and allowed the Red River settlement to enter Confederation as Canada's fifth province. Prime Minister J.A. MacDonald stated that he would compensate the Metis in the new province in order to settle the west peacefully, although the provincial land would be owned publicly. There were also provisions in the Act which protected the French language and Roman Catholic religion. Section 31 of the Act provided land for the children of Metis heads of families, which amounted to 1.4 million acres, to be divided into tracts and allotted to Métis families by Lieutenant-Governor Adam Archibald. Section 32 guaranteed all previous settlers possession of the lots they occupied before 15 July 1870, as well as hay rights in the outer two miles of various river lots. An amendment to section 32 in 1874 provided $160 scrip redeemable by Métis heads of families. The 1874 amendment also stated that improvements needed to be made to the land in order to obtain the title. Following the creation of the Manitoba Act, Prime Minister MacDonald refused to distribute the land legally owed to Metis people. The plan of Lieutenant Governor Archibald was to allow the Metis to maintain the river lot system of farming and distribute the 1.4 million acres over a period of approximately one year. Distribution of land in fulfillment of section 31 took over a decade, however, causing many frustrated Metis people to migrate west into Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as the United States. As well, government officials changed their minds about the 1.4 million acres, stating that the claimed land was now required to be outside the province of Manitoba. They also changed the date of proof of occupation to a date when most Metis would be away from their farms hunting buffalo. Shortly after the Act was passed, MacDonald sent 1200 troops to Fort Garry (now known as Winnipeg), to surveil and control the new province. The troops, as well as the influx of settlers, terrorized the Metis residents. Many Metis individuals were murdered, beaten, and raped. Metis landholders were frequently harassed in non-physical ways as well.

In the 1960s, disparities between Indigenous welfare expenditures and settler welfare expenditures were significant, with spending on the former outweighing the latter. As a result, the government saw a need to counter the growing welfare expenditures. Walter Rudnicki pitched a community development program to cabinet which called on provinces to partially assume the expenses of health and welfare transfer payments. This proposal also vaguely focused on increased self-sufficiency for Indigenous peoples, although no concrete steps were outlined. Cabinet approved the program on May 28, 1964.