First Nations land deal still ‘creating opportunity’
25 years later, treaty-based agreement has paved way for purchase of 800,000 acres
SASKATOON A quarter-century after 25 Saskatchewan First Nations signed the 1992 Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) framework agreement with the federal and provincial governments, more than 800,000 acres of reserve land have been added in the province, including more than 50 urban First Nations.
The signing of the largest treaty-based land claim in Canadian history was celebrated Thursday in Saskatoon, along with acknowledgment of the previous generation of leaders — First Nations, federal and provincial — who had the vision and willingness to work together to right a wrong of the past.
“To all those who were alive in 1992 when the agreement was signed, thank you for creating opportunity for our people in 2017,” said Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).
Some of the recipient bands used proceeds to build casinos, which have become a huge economic generator, creating jobs and revenue.
“Who’d have thought in 2017, 25 years later, that there’d be six casinos on treaty land, that generated $1 billion?” Cameron said, noting the money has gone to First Nations, community development corporations and 25 per cent to the province.
The framework agreement saw the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan provide $440 million over 12 years to 25 First Nations to purchase land they were shortchanged at the time of treaty.
Eventually, eight more First Nations signed on.
Roland Crowe, who was chief of the FSIN, which was then known as the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, recalled that at the time the agreement was negotiated, Prince Albert National Park was larger than all 72 Saskatchewan First Nations combined.
Crowe thanked his wife, Brenda, for bearing the difficulties of that period with him. Crowe’s family lived with police protection for about two months after they received death threats from people opposed to the agreement.
“Since we’ve made a better life for Indian people, I think some of the bitterness and disagreements have gone away,” he said.
One of the conditions that made the agreement successful was the Crown removed a long-standing stipulation in the Indian Act which required that additional reserve land be contiguous to an existing reserve. Instead, it was agreed that land could be purchased for new reserves if there were both a “willing selling and willing buyer.”
Many of the land purchases have been in small and large urban centres. An early urban reserve was Muskeg Lake in Saskatoon, which became a model for dozens across the province.
Many of the 33 First Nations that received money have purchased land, but the process of having it converted to reserve status is slow and requires ongoing negotiations.
Doug Cuthand, who has been a trustee for Little Pine First Nation for 20 years, said most of the land the First Nation has bought is still waiting for conversion. Trustees hold the land for the people, leasing it out and earning about $1 million per year — and paying taxes on it.
Little Pine First Nation used interest from the TLE money in the bank to build a $1-million band hall.
“It’s a clever way of doing things,” he said.
Crowe said during the months and years of negotiation, he was inspired by a full page in the Saskatchewan Indian magazine that stated, “I dream of things that never were and ask, why not?”
Since we’ve made a better life for Indian people, I think some of the bitterness and disagreements have gone away.