Sask. First Nation strikes $155M 'cows and plows' settlement
Saskatchewan’s Thunderchild First Nation has struck an historic agreement to settle Treaty 6 benefits that went unpaid for 150 years.
The Ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations announced the settlement on Thursday, intended to address Canada’s failure to provide agricultural items promised under Treaty 6 — so-called “cows and plows” provisions.
After what the ministry describes as an “expedited” claims process, the Government of Canada has agreed to pay Thunderchild First Nation $155.4 million in compensation for failing to fulfill its end of the deal. Thunderchild first filed the claim in June 2020.
“Under Treaty 6, Canada promised ploughs, seeds for important crops, livestock such as cows and bulls, and other farming necessities. These agricultural benefits were meant to facilitate the transition to agricultural economy and, as a result of Canada's failure to fulfil Treaty promises, these First Nations did not have the equipment needed to support their members,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Like Chief Big Bear, Chief Thunderchild — also known as Peyasiw-Awasis or Kapitikow — initially rejected the treaty and tried to negotiate better terms, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
He signed Treaty 6 in 1879 and established a reserve west of present-day Battleford, Sask. In 1908, Chief Thunderchild was pressured into selling the reserve land, and the band moved to a new reserve near Brightsand Lake, Sask., with mostly rock, non-arable soil.
In 1991, Thunderchild First Nation launched litigation against the Canadian government alleging the land was wrongfully surrendered. It reached a settlement with the Crown in 2003.
In his statement Thursday, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree says resolving specific claims is a key part of the Government of Canada's reconciliation with First Nations.
According to Anandasangaree, Canada has resolved over 720 specific claims since 1973 by working in partnership with First Nations.
Through its expedited resolution strategy for agricultural benefit claims, the ministry says Canada has provided over $2 billion to First Nations in the western provinces since May 2023.
-With files from Rory MacLean
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES Trudeau considering his options as leader after Freeland quits cabinet, sources say
Chrystia Freeland, Canada's finance minister, said in an explosive letter published Monday morning that she will quit cabinet. Follow along for live updates.
BREAKING Feds deliver fall economic statement with $61.9B deficit for 2023-24, amid political turmoil
Amid the news that Chrystia Freeland has resigned from her cabinet position as finance minister, the Department of Finance on Monday unveiled the long-anticipated fall economic statement, which reports a deficit of $61.9-billion for 2023-24.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland quits cabinet, Trudeau taps LeBlanc to replace her
In a stunning move, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Monday she's resigning from Justin Trudeau's cabinet, after the prime minister told her he no longer wanted her in the top economic post.
W5 Investigates Connecting the dots on a landlord scam: how clues revealed a prolific con artist at work
In part one of a three-part investigation, W5 correspondent Jon Woodward reveals how a convicted con artist bilked dozens of people in a landlord scam.
Teacher and teenage student killed in shooting at private Christian school in Wisconsin
A teenage student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another student in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
Travel risk: Which countries does Canada recommend avoiding?
Canadians planning to travel abroad over the holidays should take precautionary steps to ensure they're not unintentionally putting themselves in harm's way.
Search continues for missing person in deadly B.C. landslide; local state of emergency declared
The village of Lions Bay has declared a local state of emergency as the search continues for a missing person, after a house was swept away in a landslide on Saturday.
Canada Post operations to resume on Tuesday, company says
Mail is set to begin moving again on Tuesday after a month-long strike by Canada Post employees comes to a close.
Jury delivers guilty verdicts for accused in Montreal-area triple homicide trial
The accused in a triple homicide trial south of Montreal has been found guilty.