Saskatchewan Indians want to become a force in farming and that means a
180-degree shift in philosophy.
“Quite frankly, the current approach to agriculture is not succeeding,”
said Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations vice-chief Guy Lonechild.
FSIN established a task force on agriculture a little more than a year
ago, which devised a plan calling for a “paradigm shift” in the way
First Nations people approach farming. FSIN hopes it will be a catalyst
for better times ahead.
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“We are counting on agriculture to create wealth and opportunities for
our people,” said Lonechild, who unveiled the plan at FSIN’s
agriculture symposium last week.
Saskatchewan Indian bands have been using treaty land entitlement money
to buy land over the past decade. They now own three percent of the 50
million acres of agricultural land in the province and analysts expect
more purchases soon.
But they aren’t farming that land themselves. Eighty percent of the 1.6
million acres owned by Indians is leased to non-native farmers. That is
an imbalance the task force intends to address.
While many non-Indian farmers are exploring exit strategies, FSIN sees
a world of opportunities in agriculture. Lonechild said it generates
more than $5.8 billion in earnings per year in Saskatchewan and net
income of $500 million for the province’s farmers.
Indian farmers earn less than half of one percent of total farm
receipts, a situation FSIN wants to change.
Lonechild estimates that a Saskatchewan Indian agriculture industry
“consisting of primary and secondary tertiary businesses” could
generate $100 million in annual economic activity.
Some of the long-term goals of the program include:
n* Expanding the wild rice industry, including primary production,
processing and marketing.
n* Promoting and developing the organic and natural food sector.
n* Promoting and developing the buffalo industry.
n* Encouraging investment in processing, manufacturing and intensive
livestock operations.
n* Establishing appropriate income support programs for Saskatchewan
Indian farmers and ranchers.
n* Creating comprehensive agricultural training for youth and adults.
A 13-person board of directors comprised primarily of farmers will
govern the program, which will also include representatives from
industry, government, the University of Saskatchewan and FSIN.
One idea is to create a non-profit corporation that will be owned by
Indian bands and individuals through a share purchase program.
Lonechild said the lack of access to financing and support programs is
one of the biggest “systemic problems” to overcome before a viable
industry can exist.
Traditional lending institutions have trouble granting credit to Indian
farmers because federal legislation views treaty land as collectively
owned. Indians also have difficulty accessing income support programs
because they don’t pay federal income tax.
