News
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992
04/11/1996
Report Released on Treaty Land Entitlement Claim of Lac La Ronge First Nation
Ottawa (April 11, 1996) - The Indian Claims Commission (ICC or the Commission) today formally released its report on the inquiry into the Treaty Land Entitlement claim of the Lac La Ronge First Nation.
A Treaty Land Entitlement claim (TLE) is a claim in which a First Nation argues that they did not receive all of the land they were entitled to under the terms of their Treaty with Canada. The Commission has inquired into and released reports on two previous TLE claims, the Fort McKay First Nation and the Kawacatoose First Nation. In attempting to define principles to assist in the settlement of TLE cases in Canada, the ICC has carefully reviewed these claims to determine whether or not the First Nations have a valid claim under the federal Specific Claims Policy.
"TLE claims are usually quite complicated and the factual and legal issues in the Lac La Ronge claim are no exception. The Commission reviewed hundreds of historical documents relating to the Lac La Ronge Band and the history of treaty land entitlement generally," explains Commission Co-chair James Prentice. In addition to reviewing historical documentation, the Commission was assisted in this inquiry by Cree elders who provided oral testimony at a community session in Lac La Ronge.
The Commission found that Canada has satisfied its treaty obligation to provide reserve land to the Lac La Ronge Band by providing the First Nation with 107,147 acres of land between 1897 and 1973. Based on the population of the Lac La Ronge Band in 1897, the report concludes that the Band is not entitled to more land under the terms of Treaty 6. Although the Commission did not find an outstanding lawful obligation based on treaty land entitlement, the Commission made no findings or recommendations as to whether the First Nation has a valid claim based on restitutionary or fiduciary grounds. If any such claims are to be made, they should form the subject matter of additional submissions in a separate inquiry before the Commission. Alternatively, if the Lac La Ronge First Nation decides to pursue inquiries into the Candle Lake and Lac La Ronge School Lands claims, the parties will be afforded an opportunity to raise arguments on these related issues.
"It is unclear whether the Band will pursue these other claims, but if they decide to do so, the parties will be given an opportunity to present arguments on whether the Crown owes a fiduciary obligation to the First Nation, and, if so, the nature and extent of that obligation," says Commissioner Carole Corcoran.
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band are descendants of the 278 members of the James Roberts Band, which adhered to Treaty 6 on February 11, 1889 at Montreal Lake in northern Saskatchewan.
