The decline of the francophones of Saskatchewan was the result of political decisions that restricted the use of French between 1885 and the mid-1960's. Following the Quebec separatist threat, however, the federal and provincial governments made some concessions that gave francophone minorities in Canada a measure of recognition. This example, which parallels that of the Bretons, shows that the fate of ethnocultural minorities depends on their will to survive, but even more on their treatment at the hands of the majority.