Sol Sanderson

Sol Sanderson, a respected Cree leader from James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, served as Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) from 1979 to 1986. During his leadership, First Nations in Canada became increasingly active in asserting their political rights. Sanderson played a pivotal role in the inclusion of Treaty and Aboriginal rights in the Canadian Constitution in 1982. He led a delegation to the British Parliament to advocate for Treaty rights and was instrumental in elevating their recognition at the international level. A founding leader of the Assembly of First Nations, he was a senior spokesperson at the First Ministers’ Conferences on Indigenous issues. Sanderson was a driving force in the development of Indigenous self-government and helped establish key First Nations institutions, including the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and First Nations University of Canada. He also played a vital role in the Treaty Land Entitlement process in Saskatchewan.