Felix Thomas, Chief of the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations signing settlement agreement (Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

Settlement Agreement

Kinistin Saulteaux Nation signs agricultural benefits claim, hosts ribbon cutting for new resource center

Aug 3, 2023 | 9:28 AM

Wednesday (Aug. 2) marked a big day for the Kinistin Salteaux Nation (KSN), as federal government officials present to celebrate multiple accomplishments.

First, Felix Thomas, Chief of the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations signed a settlement agreement for the First Nation’s Agricultural Benefits Claim.

The community then held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new Tikanagan Resource Center.

(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

“This is really part of our journey towards reconciliation, Kinistin set an important bar in terms of negotiations on the agricultural claims. Because of what we’ve achieved today, we are now in a position to expedite claims across this region, and I commit to working with the communities impacted,” explained Anandasangaree.

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“Today is a culmination of a lot of hard work and patience on behalf of the community of Kinistin, we’ve been waiting for this day to come. It’s implementing what was promised, and this is only a start to what was part of reconciliation and part of treaties. We were partners and we want to be partners again,” added Thomas.

According to the KSN Treaty 4 Agricultural Benefits Specific Claim, Canada breached its legal obligations to KSN by failing to provide agricultural benefits owed as specified in Treaty 4.

Not fulfilling this Treaty commitment limited KSN’s economic self-sufficiency and its capacity to produce its own food and agricultural products.

As part of the Government of Canada’s Expedited Resolution Strategy for Agricultural Benefits Claims, this settlement agreement provides total compensation of $56,816,579 for the full and final settlement of the claim.

“I think this settlement first and foremost is a recognition of past wrongs. It’s a recognition of the denial of agricultural benefits, and as a result, economic stability and empowerment that was denied to the community and people, although it was a responsibility of the federal government through its treaty process,” Anandasangaree told northeastNOW.

The KSN Treaty 4 Agricultural Benefits Specific Claim was received on Mar. 11, 2008, and Canada first offered to negotiate on Sept. 28, 2011.

A community ratification vote was held on Apr. 18, 2023, with 97 per cent of the participants voting in favour of the settlement agreement.

As for the new resource centre, Chief Thomas is excited about the opportunity it will provide for new generations.

“It’ll ensure an environment for success for a lot of these kids, that they’ll have the support that the residential schools, the Indian Act, and all those things took away. This will help put it all back together again.”

-With files from the Government of Canada

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