First Nation chief says Bell, province bypassing duty to consult on AI data centre
The Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation is challenging a major AI data centre project in Saskatchewan, claiming the province and Bell Canada failed to consult them. The First Nation asserts that the project is being built on unceded traditional territory and is threatening legal action.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the tension between large-scale industrial development and the rights of Indigenous nations regarding land use and consultation.
Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation said in a letter to Bell president and CEO Mirko Bibic issued Friday that the development in the rural municipality of Sherwood is being built on "unceded traditional Dakota territory" with neither consent nor consultation.
"Our Nation has responsibilities to its members, its territory and future generations, and will determine its own position on this development through its leadership and independent review," the letter states.
"As a sovereign nation and on treaty land, I believe we have the right to be consulted with," Chief Rodger Redman later told CBC News.
The First Nation has given Bell 10 business days to acknowledge its letter and 30 days to arrange a meeting involving provincial representatives.
Two First Nations are demanding consultation and information from Bell Canada and the government about an AI data centre being built south of Regina. (Alexander Quon/CBC)
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