Chief and Council have agreed to equally distribute the funds from the Treaty Annity Settlement which equates $1700.00 to every living, registered member of Cold Lake First Nations. You must fill out the Treaty Annuity Settlement Member Disbursement Form to receive these funds.
Click Here To Download The Treaty Annuity Settlement Member Disbursement Form
What is the Treaty Annuity Settlement?
This claim arises from the fact that Canada breached Treaty No. 6 when it withheld treaty annuity payments from CLFN members and the salaries payable to Chief and Council following the 1885 rebellion.
What is the basis for this claim?
Treaty No. 6 requires Canada to pay the following amounts every year:
–$5 to each CLFN member
–Salary of $25 to the Chief
–Salary of $15 to each Headman (Councilor) to a maximum of four per Band
(the “Treaty Annuities and Salaries”)
In 1885 a number of First Nations participated in a rebellion against Canada—resisting Canada’s westward expansion.
When the fighting ended, Canada decided that First Nations had breached the treaties.
- As punishment, Canada withheld the Treaty Annuities and Salaries from the “Rebel Bands”
- CLFN was listed as a Rebel Band and Canada withheld the Treaty Annuities and Salaries from 1885 to 1888.
- Canada resumed the Treaty Annuity payments in 1888 but did not resume payment for the Salaries until 1952.
How was the settlement calculated?
In 2016 the Specific Claims Tribunal issued its decision in the Beardy’s & Okemasis Band claim against Canada. In this decision, the Tribunal considered the “time value” of the money Canada withheld and determined that the First Nation should receive interest at the Band trust rate compounded annually.
CLFN’s Treaty Paylists from 1885 to 1951 were reviewed to determine:
- From reviewing CLFN’s treaty paylists, it appears $6,600.00 was withheld from CLFN starting in 1885. This is called the “Bring Forward Amount”.
- Once the Bring Forward Amount is finalized, Canada will:
–Apply interest at the Band trust rate compounded annually; and
–Add negotiation costs
A settlement was reached for $5,500,000.00