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Alberta First Nation sues Ottawa over $5 treaty annuity, argues amount stuck in 1899
The First Nation says the $5 annual payment has lost value since Treaty 8 was signed in 1899 and wants the program modernized.
- On Wednesday, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation sued Ottawa to increase annual treaty annuity payments, with Chief Allan Adam stating members receive $5 annually, an amount frozen since Treaty 8 was signed in 1899.
- Treaty annuity payments dating back more than a century were meant to assist First Nations members but have failed to maintain value across generations, prompting the modernization demand without seeking 127 years of retroactive damages.
- Chief Adam declared in a Wednesday news release, "This case is about keeping promises," emphasizing that treaty benefits must retain real value for First Nations people today and future generations; payments across Canada range from $4 to $5 annually.
- Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty's office was not immediately available to comment on the lawsuit, leaving the federal government's position unclear.
- Similar lawsuits by First Nations across Canada have accelerated in recent years, with Ottawa and Ontario reaching a $10-billion settlement with 21 Ontario First Nations in 2023 as a precedent for addressing long-standing annuity disputes.
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31 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources31
Leaning Left21Leaning Right0Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Left
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources lean Left
70% Left
L 70%
C 30%
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