Our Nation is a Sovereign power.

Not an interest group. Not a program. Not a “stakeholder.”

Saulteaux First Nation is a government with inherent rights, responsibilities, and authority that existed before Canada and continues today.

Sovereignty is not something we ask for. It is something we exercise.

“Our aim must be generational advancement. By looking ahead and embracing the responsibilities and obligations our ancestors and leaders entrusted to us. Every written law, policy, and step forward must align with our Treaty Rights and become a new opportunity for our membership.”

Warren R. Nekurak

Nation-to-Nation, in real terms

Nation-to-Nation cannot be symbolic. It must be operational. That means our relationship with Canada, Saskatchewan, and the municipalities must be built on:

• Recognition of our jurisdiction over our people, lands, resources, and institutions

• Respect for our laws and decision-making systems

• Agreements that transfer power to us, not just funding

• Accountability that flows both ways

If governments want to partner with us, the starting point is simple: recognize Our Nation as self-determining and our Treaty agreements as binding.

What sovereignty advocacy means globally

Around the world, Indigenous Nations are strengthening sovereignty through international human rights standards, court decisions, and political agreements. On the global stage, sovereignty advocacy means:

• Advancing Indigenous rights as binding standards in law and policy

• Protecting self-determination as a recognized principle of international order

• Building global pressure so states can’t “selectively recognize” Indigenous rights when it’s convenient

This is where the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) matters—not as a slogan, but as a tool.

Leveraging UNDRIP: politically, economically, and financially

UNDRIP is a framework we can use to strengthen Our Nation’s position in negotiations, policy, and investment.

Politically:

• Use UNDRIP’s principles to demand that our consent and participation shape laws and decisions that affect us

• Push for agreements that recognize our jurisdiction, not just consultation processes

• Build our own policies that reflect Indigenous governance as the standard, not an exception

Economically:

• Assert our rights to lands, waters, and resources as the foundation for development decisions

• Secure partnership agreements that include equity ownership, revenue sharing, and long-term control

• Advance procurement policies that prioritize our citizens and businesses

Financially:

• Strengthen our fiscal independence through own-source revenue, investment strategies, and Nation-controlled entities

• Negotiate funding models that reflect government-to-government reality: stable, multi-year, and flexible

• Build financial systems that protect our assets for future generations and reduce dependency on external decision-makers

• Sovereignty is also financial. If we don’t control resources and revenue, we don’t control outcomes.

Our laws, our government, our future

I believe our traditional systems hold answers for contemporary governance:

• How we resolve conflict

• How we protect vulnerable people

• How we make decisions with integrity

• How we hold leadership accountable

Modern governance should not replace our traditional laws; they should be braided into Our Nation's Constitution.

That means strengthening:

• Our internal law-making capacity

• Our governance policies and procedures

• Community-based accountability and transparency

• Citizen participation that is meaningful, not performative

A commitment to membership power

I am committed to building a Nation where membership is not just informed, but empowered.

That looks like:

• Clear pathways for citizens to bring forward issues and proposals

• Community meetings with real follow-through, not just updates

• Youth, Elders, and families directly shaping priorities

• A culture of participation where our people help define our laws, priorities, and future

The promise

I will advocate for sovereignty as action:

• Jurisdiction that is practiced

• Agreements that transfer power

• Economies that create independence

• Governance that reflects who we are

We don’t need permission to be who we are.

We need unity, strategy, and the courage to govern.

Our Nation. Our laws. Our future, on our terms.

kinanaskomitinânâwâw

Warren R. Nekurak