Natives move slowly on farming option – Special Report (story 2)

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Published: May 18, 2006

When First Nations began buying agricultural land to fulfill outstanding claims under their treaties, they saw it as a way to gain economic control and generate income.

“We have to rely on our economic resources to sustain ourselves,” said Lawrence Joseph, vice-chief with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

He lists forestry, gravel operations and agriculture among those opportunities.

But the last 15 years weren’t the best time to start farming.

“Some bands want to go into farming,” said one land manager who asked not to be named. “The way farming is going, what’s going to happen? It would be better to lease (land) out for nothing.”

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Historians say many native people would have become farmers long ago if the treaties signed with Ottawa more than 100 years ago had been honoured to the letter.

Agricultural instruction, livestock and implements to help them begin farming were part of the deal in some treaties, but while some natives adapted well to the farming lifestyle, others didn’t.

As well, instructors sent to teach the new farmers often didn’t do

the job.

Compounding the problem was the government’s habit of taking land away for roads and other uses, leaving some reserves too small to be economically viable farms.

As bands began settling claims and adding to their land base, especially through the 1990s, agriculture became a more likely proposition.

But dryland grain farming is a tough business for everyone these days and cattle producers on reserves were affected by the BSE border closures.

Tom Allen, an agricultural economics professor at the University of Saskatchewan who specializes in First Nations development and is the CIBC Scholar in agricultural entrepreneurship, said many bands anticipated a bright future on their new land.

“They were so excited that things would be so much better,” he said. “Now there’s no more jobs, no more money. They’re saying, ‘we need help.’ “

Many bands are leasing their land to non-members, including the white farmers from whom they bought it.

The poor financial situation in the grain and oilseed sector mean some landowners can’t find renters, which Allen said is a particular problem in areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta where bands bought large tracts.

Some are looking further ahead by becoming involved in grass seeding programs for their own bison and cattle operations. For example, residents on the Blood reserve in Alberta are taking back land they had leased so that young band members can begin farming.

Other bands are growing grain crops and potatoes.

Keith LePoudre, general manager of the First Nations Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan, said some bands are doing well and others aren’t – just like other farmers.

The council is a year-old non-profit organization formed out of an FSIN agricultural task force that mandated the development of a strong, sustainable agricultural industry for status Indians both on and off the reserves.

LePoudre said the council provides technical information to bands to help them decide the best use for their land. It looks at the type of soil, the wildlife in the area and the cultural importance of the land.

“They need to work on what they want themselves,” LePoudre said. “We help them go through (the process).”

Joseph said the sacred significance of land is enough for some bands, although this doesn’t mean that land sitting idle is being let go to weeds. Some land is also valuable for medicinal plants, he added.

Thirty of the province’s 75 bands are working with FNACS. LePoudre said he expects more to come on board, especially as they see the successes of others.

“I’d prefer to see them take their time.”

For example, two bands have developed small community pastures on their land. LePoudre said they intend to learn as they go and eventually take more of the land back for their own cattle herds.

He and Allen agreed there is a future for agriculture on reserves.

Allen said one opportunity could be in their sheer size.

“I don’t think we really know what optimal size is in dry land farming.”

Even the land manager who questions the future of farming notes that bands, with the right training and knowledge, could rival a large corporate farm operation.

“The advantage we would have is our land is paid for and any income derived is non-taxable,” he said. “The key is how will a band go about it.”

First Nations who join together would have tremendous market power, Allen suggested, which could lead to indigenous branded products that are desirable in Europe, Asia and parts of the United States.

Earlier this year Allen and a group of First Nations students went to New Zealand to meet with Maori people who have found ways to develop an economy on their communal land. The group is also meeting with American aboriginals in Arizona and will participate in a conference in Saskatoon at the end of June.

Allen said indigenous products from New Zealand and the U.S. are valuable because of the First Nations story behind them. Canadian First Nations could do the same thing.

A lot of the land bought through the claims process is marginal and better suited for livestock.

“We’ve done some work looking at First Nations bison meat going to Germany,” Allen said. “They said, ‘how quickly can you get it over here?’ “

LePoudre said a long-term strategy could involve building a First Nations-owned feedlot and packing plant to market branded products.

“The production is out there but how do you move it to the next stage,” he said. “Several (bands) are looking at (a packing plant) but then it’s about finding the equity and the money to put it together.”

About the author

Karen Briere

Karen Briere

Karen Briere grew up in Canora, Sask. where her family had a grain and cattle operation. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Regina and has spent more than 30 years covering agriculture from the Western Producer’s Regina bureau.

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