The President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities is trying to mend fences with the province's first nations.

Ray Orb hopes to meet with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Bobby Cameron. "I intend, in the next few days, to actually call him myself. But we certainly want to get together with the FSIN, talk about some of these issues, but even more, we'd like to foster better relations with some of the bands themselves, because we need to work on things together."

Orb is reaching out after a controversy involving a rural councillor from Browning, in Southeast Saskatchewan.

Ben Kautz wrote on Facebook that a man accused of shooting and killing a first nations young man on his farm should not have left witnesses.

He later apologized, and resigned his seat on the council.

The Facebook page was taken down.

"We have to consider the fact that there are lots of people looking at us as leaders, and that we have to put forward the proper image." said Orb.

The SARM President says the incident illustrates how damaging some comments on social media can be. "Sometimes people do say things that they need to reconsider," Orb told Discover Weyburn.

"But unfortunately, once it's out on social media, it's a little hard to take back. So there was lots of remarks going back and forth, and you know, we saw the Premier step in, and rightfully so, to create some calm out there.