A member of American royalty graced the City of Saskatoon on Monday afternoon and he had a message to relay to Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal people.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental advocate and lawyer, told Saskatchewan’s First Nation leaders to take advantage of the potential for renewable natural resources in the province, but said they first need to seek similar subsidies given to other energy industries, like coal and oil.

“If you wiped out all of those subsidies, there’s no way that coal could compete with wind and solar in this province,” said Kennedy. “You either have to get rid of the subsidies or you have to begin leveling the playing field by making sure that renewables get the same kind of subsidies as the incumbents.”

Kennedy, who was a keynote speaker at the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the Trading Place economic conference, told reporters that Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal People could be the voice to instigate that change in the province.

“First Nations have been the spear-point for renewable energy in this country,” said Kennedy. “I just met with the chiefs and they’re desperate to use their lands and their resources to produce renewable energy, but unfortunately they’re not getting the kind of support they need from the government.”

He continued, “They see the potential, they want clean energy, they have respect for the land and they also have respect for future generations … but unfortunately the government is allowing these huge subsidies to the incumbents—to the carbon cronies—the coal, oil and gas but giving, at best, minimum support or subsidies to wind, solar or renewables.”