The Crown made a promise to Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). That promise did not disappear because it became inconvenient, expensive, or difficult to honour.

It still matters. And it is time for the Crown to act like it does.

In 1836, the Crown asked the Saugeen Anishnaabek to share approximately 1.5 million acres of their territory south of Owen Sound. In return, the Crown promised to protect the Saugeen Peninsula for them forever.

That promise was broken.

In 2021, the Ontario Superior Court confirmed what Saugeen Ojibway Nation has known for generations: the Crown could and should have done more to protect the Peninsula. The Court found that the Crown breached its Treaty promise and failed to uphold the Honour of the Crown.

And still, Saugeen Ojibway Nation, made up of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation, is waiting for the Crown to make things right.

Reconciliation cannot mean asking First Nations to accept another generation of delay. Treaty promises cannot be honoured only when they are convenient. And decisions about our lands cannot continue to be made without us.

Consent is the bare minimum.

It means respecting our rights. It means honouring the promises made to our ancestors. It means recognizing that Saugeen Ojibway Nation has the right to determine what happens on our lands and in our territory.

The Crown made a promise. The courts have confirmed that promise was broken.

Now it is time to honour it.