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Indigenous Access to Farmland

Land is fundamental to Indigenous ways of life. However, the Canadian state has systemically dispossessed Indigenous peoples of their land and restricted their ability to freely access land as was promised in Treaties.

The NFU supports relationship building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples via the shared connection we all have with, and love for, the land and water. 

The Treaty Land Sharing Network is a group of farmers, ranchers, and other landholders in Treaty 4 & 6 territory (Saskatchewan) who have come together to begin the crucial work of honouring Treaties. In the spirit of sharing the land, members of the network welcome First Nations and Métis people to access the land that they farm to harvest food and medicines and practice their way of life. TLSN is committed to implementing the Treaty relationship, engaging in ongoing learning, and establishing a different way forward for rural Saskatchewan.

In the videos below, several members of the TLSN explain the group’s origins and impact.

Treaty Land Sharing Network: Honouring Treaties in Rural Saskatchewan with Martha Robbins and Tom Harrison 

Martha Robbins and Tom Harrison speak on the Treaty Land Sharing Network: a group that formed a couple of years ago with a mission to connect farmers and other land holders with First Nations and Métis people needing safe access to land to practice their way of life. 

Connecting farmers and Indigenous land users 

Joel Mowchenko manages his family’s organic grain and cattle farm near Mossbank, SK in Treaty 4 Territory. He first connected with the Treaty Land Sharing Network in the fall of 2019 and has since attended several network events, registered his farm with the network, and hosted a native prairie tour in 2020.

The NFU supports the goals of the Treaty Land Sharing Network and other contextually appropriate land justice initiatives in collaboration with Indigenous peoples across the country/Turtle Island. For more information and resources, visit the Treaty Land Sharing Network website.

Further Reading

March 17, 2021: Indigenous, Environmental, and Agricultural Organizations across Saskatchewan call on the Province to halt the liquidation of Crown land