Completed Inquiries – Reports Released

14/06/2007

Sakimay First Nation [Treaty land entitlement] – February 2007

The Sakimay First Nation submitted a claim to Canada in 1997, in which it was argued that the treaty land entitlement owed to the First Nation had not been fulfilled. Having received no response to its claim by May 2000, the First Nation requested that the Commission hold an inquiry on the grounds that the delay should be deemed a rejection. Upon being informed by Canada that its confirming research would likely be completed by December 2000, the First Nation chose not to pursue its request for an inquiry.

Canada’s research was sent to the First Nation in January 2002, and the First Nation’s claim was rejected. In July 2003, the First Nation renewed its request for an inquiry, which was accepted in September 2003. The Commission proposed a joint research project. This proposal was accepted by both parties, and a report was completed by August 2004. Based on this additional research, the First Nation made a submission to Canada in October 2004.

Based on Canada’s review of the October 2004 submission, further research was conducted. By the end of June 2006, the parties believed they had exhausted the research, and the First Nation requested that Canada complete its review process. The review was completed by the end of August 2006, and the Minister accepted the claim in September 2006.

This TLE claim is intricately connected to the First Nation’s history. The modern-day Sakimay First Nation is a combination of the Sakimay or Mosquito Band and the Little Bone Band. Sakimay or Mosquito, was Chief of a Band that received annuity payments with Waywayseecappo’s Band for six years following the conclusion of Treaty 4. A reserve for Sakimay was originally surveyed in 1876 on the north shore of Crooked Lake; however, the survey of the southern boundary was never completed, and the reserve was never confirmed. In 1881, a separate paylist was created for the Sakimay Band and IR 74 was surveyed for the Band on the south side of Crooked Lake. Also in 1881, Sakimay passed away. After his death, the Sakimay Band split into two groups. One group, led by Yellow Calf, occupied the south side of the reserve, while the other group, led by Shesheep, occupied the north side of the reserve. IR 74A, consisting of 1,651.2 acres on the north side of Crooked Lake, was set aside in 1884. In 1889, additional lands were added to this reserve and its size was confirmed as 3,584 acres.

By 1887, the Sakimay First Nation had developed close ties with the Little Bone Band, which occupied IR 73A on Leech Lake, near the Sakimay reserve. The Department of Indian Affairs acknowledged that the two bands had informally amalgamated and, in 1907, proceeded to formalize the amalgamation. A surrender of the Little Bone reserve resulted.

The Commission released a report on this inquiry in June 2007.

Response: In September 2006, government accepted the claim for negotiation.

To download the news release

To download the report - PDF