Canadian Government reaches $177 million settlement with Black Lake, Fond du Lac
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Two Saskatchewan First Nations have reached a settlement in a long-running treaty dispute with the federal government.
Treaty 8, which was signed by Black Lake and Fond du Lac in 1899, included a clause which allowed the signing bands to collect agricultural benefits, ammunition, and twine from the Crown:
“…The aforesaid articles, machines and cattle to be given once for all for the encouragement of agriculture and stock raising; and for such Bands as prefer to continue hunting and fishing, as much ammunition and twine for making nets annually as will amount in value to one dollar per head of the families so engaged in hunting and fishing.”
The clause, however, was not enough to sustain the bands economically. In response, both bands from Fond du Lac and Black Lake entered into a long settlement process in the mid-2000s, which concluded in January of this year. Black Lake settled their claim for a total of roughly $91.3 million, while Fond du Lac’s settlement equaled roughly $86.1 million. Together, the settlements total just over $177.4 million dollars, according to documentation from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
