Saskatchewan's largest First Nation approves $600M 'cows and plows' settlement
Saskatchewan’s largest First Nation says it has approved a settlement agreement with the federal government valued at $601.5 million.
In a news release on Saturday, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) said the historic agreement addresses the long standing “cows-and-plows” clause in Treaty 6 and unfulfilled promises made by Canada regarding agricultural support for the band.
The band says the settlement is one of the largest of its kind in Canadian history.
"This is a momentous day for Lac La Ronge Indian Band. The membership’s overwhelming support for the settlement demonstrates their commitment to securing a better future for our community,” Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said in the news release.
“We are pleased that Canada has finally recognized and acknowledged its failure to fulfill the obligations under Treaty 6, and this settlement is a critical step towards rectifying that historical wrong.”
The "cows and plows" clause in Treaty 6, which Lac La Ronge signed in 1889, was meant to push First Nations from a nomadic lifestyle centred on hunting to a more European-Canadian agriculture lifestyle of farming and raising livestock. The federal government promised to supply hand tools, farming equipment and seeds.
Many First Nations say the government didn't fulfill these promises, and in some cases people have had provincial benefits clawed back after receiving cows and plows compensation in recent years.
The LLRIB says the settlement came after receiving input from community members.
A community vote was held from Aug. 19 – 22, with in-person voting on Aug. 23 bringing a record turnout of ballots. It says 95 percent of voters were in favour of the agreement.
“This agreement represents a significant step toward justice and reconciliation for the members of our First Nation,” said Cook-Searson.
The band will now work to finalize the agreement with Ottawa, which is expected to take up to seven months.
LLRIB is one of the largest First Nation bands in Canada, with a total membership of close to 12,000 people.
-With files from Rory MacLean
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. Justice Department brings criminal charges in Iranian murder-for-hire plan targeting Donald Trump
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Donald Trump, charging a man who said he had been tasked by a government official before this week's election with assassinating the Republican president-elect.
Canada rent report: What landlords are asking tenants to pay
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
N.S. school 'deeply sorry' for asking service members not to wear uniforms at Remembrance Day ceremony
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Beyonce leads the 2025 Grammy noms, becoming the most nominated artist in the show's history
Welcome to Beyonce country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, 'Cowboy Carter' rules the nation.
Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam. The violence was condemned as antisemitic
Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in Amsterdam by hordes of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, Dutch authorities said Friday. Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe.
48,584 space heaters recalled in Canada after burn injury in U.S.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.
107-year-old temperature record among dozens broken across Canada
Canadians are experiencing a wave of warm weather across multiple provinces well into the fall season, shattering dozens of temperature records.
Prince William calls past year 'incredibly tough'
Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.
Canada's permanent employees earning more, according to latest jobs data
Canada added lower-than-expected 14,500 jobs in October and wages of permanent employees rose, data showed on Friday, as the economy grappled to absorb the slack built up due to a rapidly rising population amid an overheated market.