Garden River says no to 100 per cent treaty settlement payouts
Garden River First Nation members will not be receiving a full payout of past treaty payments under the $10 billion Robinson Huron Treaty settlement.
The chief of the community east of Sault Ste. Marie said the leadership’s “fiduciary duty” to the community and future generations was partly behind the decision.
Chief Karen Bell said while members of Garden River First Nation will not be receiving a full payout, they will still receive a “good portion” of the settlement.
“Individual members of Garden River First Nation definitely will get money,” said Bell.
“We haven’t determined what percentage we’re going to be doing yet. But that will be a discussion that we have at the leadership table in the near future, and we are going to be doing a lot consultation with our members on and off the First Nation.”
In all, 21 First Nations communities who are part of the treaty will share in the settlement. The award compensates First Nations who signed the 1850 Robinson Huron Treaty in which First Nations agreed to allow resource extraction on their territory in exchange for a share of the revenue generated.
But the federal and provincial governments failed to follow the treaty and did not increase the revenue shared with First Nations, as had been agreed to in the treaty. The last increase came in 1875.
The $10 billion settlement was the result of a years-long court battle.
Can't please everyone
While the decision by chief and council prompted a strong reaction on social media, Bell said that was not unexpected.
“We have to make decisions and some of these decisions are not going to be liked or applauded by everybody,” she said.
“But, we got to think about the 3,500 people we’re making decisions for, not the 30 or 40 people that are on social media that are making comments.”
Bell said the settlement agreement covers the First Nation collectively, not individual members, and she said a 100 per cent individual payout would violate that aspect of the agreement.
“Which means we would be in litigation now with the law firm that did all the 17 years of work on this, along with the litigation committee, along with the federal and provincial governments that signed on the dotted line to hand over this money,” said Bell.
She said leadership must also take into account a trust fund for members under the age of 18, legal costs, a “war chest” for future litigation and money for language and culture preservation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Macklem tries to stay out of the fray as MPs do their best to use him to score points
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem navigates a political minefield every time he testifies before the House of Commons finance committee.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Oilers to play Game 1 vs. Canucks on Wednesday
The Edmonton Oilers will play Game 1 of their second-round series against the Canucks in Vancouver on Wednesday.