Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, Treaty 10 Territory, Saskatchewan - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Province of Saskatchewan and Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation
Today, Chief Bartholomew J. Tsannie of Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), and the Honourable Eric Schmalz, Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs announced a settlement agreement for a treaty land entitlement claim as part of the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement.
Treaty land entitlement claims address situations where First Nations did not receive the amount of reserve land promised to them at the time of treaty. In this case, the Government of Canada did not provide Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation with the full amount of land it was entitled to receive under Treaty 10, which was signed in 1907. The treaty required the Crown to set aside 640 acres per family of five, or 128 acres per person.
Under the settlement agreement, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan will provide Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation with $29,602,664 as full and final compensation for this claim. The Nation may also apply to add up to 28,118 acres of land in line with the federal Additions to Reserve Policy on a willing buyer/willing seller basis.
Settlements provide First Nations with capital that can be invested in community priorities, such as land purchases, infrastructure, and economic development, and create new opportunities that can benefit First Nations and local and regional economies.
Settling specific claims is one way to address past harms, rebuild trust, and support reconciliation in a way that respects the rights of First Nations and all Canadians. This settlement agreement demonstrates the federal and provincial governments' continued efforts to renew relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.
