Muskoday First Nation [Treaty land entitlement]

Muskoday IR 99, contains 9,686 hectares and is located 19 kilometres southeast of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The total band population is 1,502, of whom 524 live on reserve.

This Cree/Saulteaux First Nation adhered to Treaty 6 in 1876 under Chief John Smith. Research has determined that these people did not receive the reserve land to which they were entitled according to the formula set out in the treaty. The claim was submitted to Canada alleging that the First Nation received a shortfall of reserve land pursuant to the terms of Treaty 4. In March 2004, for the purposes of negotiation – and under the 1998 Historic Treaty Land Entitlement Shortfall Policy – Canada accepted that the Muskoday First Nation had sufficiently established a breach of obligation and a shortfall of 5,376 acres of land. Negotiations began in May 2004.

The ICC has acted as facilitator of the negotiations from the start, including a Treaty Land Entitlement Common Table of Sturgeon Lake, Gordon, Muskoday and Pasqua First Nations working to reach a common approach with Canada respecting issues relating to the determination of an adjusted-date-of-first-survey (ADOFS) population. After an exchange of relevant documents and two meetings, held in October and December 2004, the parties were able to agree on eligibility criteria for ADOFS so that each First Nation could proceed with its individual negotiations.

By the end of the 2005-2006 fiscal year, negotiations at the Muskoday table were being finalized with only a few outstanding issues remaining, and plans were being made for ratification of the settlement in the First Nation community.