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.

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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