Specific Claims / Trusts
Sakimay Settlement Agreement (1992)
The Sakimay Settlement Agreement (1992) is a specific claim where compensation has been provided for the illegal surrender of the Little Bone Indian Reserve.
Little Bone is near Crescent Lake, about 22 kilometers south of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Prior to the illegal surrender, the Little Bone Indian Reserve consisted of 10.9 square miles, more or less (about 6,976 acres).
Sakimay First Nations researched this surrender, filed a claim, and negotiated for a settlement. This Settlement includes the ability to have 6,000 acres set apart as Reserve.
Current Status
- Has successfully converted 5,251.83 acres to Reserve status.
- Currently has 392.21 acres of land that are in the Additions to Reserve (ATR) process.
- There are 355.96 acres of land to acquire.
- Title to the land is held by Sakimay Reserve Acquisitions Inc. during the ATR process.
Sakimay Flooding Claim Settlement Agreement (2013)
The Sakimay Flooding Claim Settlement Agreement (2013) is a specific claim where compensation has been provided for flooding on Sakimay Indian Reserve and Shesheep Indian Reserve caused by a control structure on the Crooked Lake.
This Settlement includes the ability to have 1,280 acres (or 840 if urban lands included) set apart as Reserve.
Current Status – Sakimay Legacy Trust
- The capital of the Settlement is held within Sakimay Legacy Trust.
- Royal Trust is the corporate trustee.
- There is a Trust Agreement that specifies that the purpose of the Sakimay Legacy Trust is to be a long-term asset of Sakimay First Nations. Sakimay Legacy Trust is “externally restricted capital”.
- The capital is in invested in accordance with an Investment Policy designed to meet the goals of capital growth and annual payment.
- Two Investment Managers, one growth and one income, are responsible for investing the money. The two Investment Managers provide a balanced investment portfolio.
- An Investment Advisor has been retained to monitor the performance of the Investment Managers.
- Sakimay Legacy Trust will distribute an annual payment to a revenue account.
- The annual payment is used for Band Development.
- The Sakimay Legacy Trust is audited annually.
- There is an annual meeting where Royal Trust, the Investment Advisor, and Sakimay Legacy Trust Audit are presented.
Current Status – Zagime Land Holdings Ltd.
- Title to land acquired using proceeds of the Sakimay Flooding Claim Settlement Agreement (2013) is held by Zagime Land Holdings Ltd. during the ATR process.
- Currently has 752.55 acres of land that are in the Additions to Reserve (ATR) process.
Sakimay Treaty Land Entitlement Claim
In accordance with Treaty 4, the Crown was to complete a census of the Sakimay First Nations population. Based on this census, 128 acres of land was supposed to be set apart as Reserve for every Indian. Sakimay First Nations did not receive 128 acres for every person on the census. This has created a Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) claim.
Sakimay First Nations is currently negotiating a Treaty Land Entitlement claim.
Agriculture Benefits Specific Claim
An Agriculture Benefits Specific Claim, often referred to as “Cows and Plows”, results from unfulfilled benefits that were to be provided under Treaty No. 4. As part of the Treaty promises, different types of agriculture implements, tools, seeds and livestock, along with support from a farm instructor, were to be provided to each First Nation to assist their members in transitioning to a new livelihood. However, not all the agriculture benefits described in Treaty No. 4 were given to each First Nation which affected their ability to be successful in farming.
Like all specific claims, a historic report was completed that documented the failure by the British Crown (Canada) to provide all the agriculture benefits that Zagimē Anishinabēk was to receive according to Treaty No. 4. In addition to the historic report, legal arguments were added. The historic report and the legal submission formed the specific claim. On September 12, 2022, Zagimē submitted its Agriculture Benefits specific claim to the Specific Claims Branch of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC). CIRNAC is one of the departments with the Government of Canada.
On February 16, 2023 Chief Acoose received a letter from CIRNAC Specific Claims Branch advising that Zagimē’s claim met minimum standards. Below is a timeline to illustrate the claims submission process.
- 2020 to 2022 – A historic research and legal submission was developed to document that Zagimē Anishinabēk did not receive all the agriculture benefits to which it was entitled under Treaty No. 4
- September 12, 2022 – Zagimē Anishinabēk submitted its Agriculture Benefits specific claim to CIRNAC Specific Claims Branch. CIRNAC (Canada) has up to six months to evaluate whether the claim meets minimum standards in terms of documentation and references
- February 16, 2023 – Date of letter to Chief Acoose from CIRNAC advising that Zagimē Anishinabēk’s Agriculture Benefits claim met the minimum standards.
- February 14, 2023 – Date when Zagimē Anishinabēk’s Agriculture Benefits claim was filed with the Minister of CIRNAC. Commencing on February 14, 2023, Zagimē’s Agriculture claim will be reviewed by CIRNAC, which can take up to three years to complete. As a result, Zagimē must wait for CIRNAC to advise whether the claim will be accepted for negotiation.