Band members of the Saulteaux First Nation protested on Wednesday morning to express their dissatisfaction with the current council and to demand full payout from the Cows and Plows. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

COWS AND PLOWS

‘Everyone has a role in this’: Saulteaux band members protest over $81M treaty payout plan

Nov 21, 2024 | 12:53 PM

Band members of the Saulteaux First Nation (S.F.N.) gathered along the main road of their reserve on Wednesday morning, enduring the biting cold and expressing their frustrations with the current Chief and council.

The protest was sparked by the lack of consultation on the council’s decision to distribute the over $81 million ($81,812,236) Treaty 6 Agricultural Benefits Claim (Cows and Plows).

The decision will allocate $28,000 to each of the 1,524 band members, while the remaining will be directed into a community trust fund to support future infrastructure projects.

Richard Wuttunee, the band member who initiated the protest, argues that considering the council’s history of financial mismanagement in the 1990s and the lack of consultation from the current council, the community deserves to receive the full amount of $53,682 to make decisions that benefit them directly.

“This is not only treaty money and band members’ money, [but] this is also taxpayers’ money. Everyone has a role in this. Everyone should be accounting for these dollars at every level,” he stated.

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COWS AND PLOWS

'Everyone has a role in this': Saulteaux band members protest over $81M treaty payout plan

5h ago

Richard Wuttunee (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

According to Alexis Christensen, the director of administration and communication at S.F.N., the council promptly followed the Canadian-specific claims process and contacted band members within 24 hours of receiving the settlement information. To keep everyone informed, they organized informational meetings in Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, and Saulteaux.

She went on to note that financial audits are publicly accessible, and the Royal Bank of Canada, along with the Royal Trust, will present the report to the community each year to make sure everyone is on the same page.

“They are available on our One Feather online tool. So, anything we’ve got, we’ve shared directly the same information out,” she said.

Regarding the demands of full payout, Christensen said it is not financially reasonable, explaining that Treaties are collective agreements, not individual agreements. She believes it’s essential to have a financial plan for the future, as the fund is expected to benefit the entire community rather than just one individual.

“Give out all of the money, it’s gone, and that’s the end of it. And that doesn’t honour like a Treaty kind of promise and obligation. So, by putting it into a royal trust fund, that means that this amount would gain interest in 100 years [and] it’s still there.”

Rob Louie, president of the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada (BMAAAC), said even though the council’s intention sounded ‘pleasant’, band members are legally responsible for ratifying the settlement agreement.

He then shared a related example involving band members from the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) Nation in British Columbia. They voted to decide the payout amount they sought when they too received the Cows and Plows settlement last summer.

“It really is technically and legally up to the membership to decide how much, if anything, that they want in terms of per capita payment.”

Louie is currently assisting the S.F.N. band members in filing lawsuits aimed at unilaterally addressing low per capita distributions to their membership. He said one of the ultimate goals is to empower the band members, giving them a stronger voice in the council’s decision-making process.

Michael Houle, along with his son Leyton Houle, stepped up on Wednesday morning on the main road of Saulteaux First Nation to demand full transparency from the current council and Chief. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

He cited the successful Frog Lake First Nation case in Alberta, which increased its band members’ payout amount from $25,000 to $40,000, as a prime example of what can be achieved.

“When the members collectively stick together and say ‘We want more than the 25 per cent payout or 50 per cent,’ then they can do that because they can shut down the entire process, and nobody gets paid, not even the lawyers,” Louie said.

While the current council defends its approach based on the need for future planning and infrastructure development, Wuttunee and others will continue to stand in solidarity, demanding the fiscal responsibility and transparency they seek.

“We’re continuing to fight for the right. What about the kids, the kids that can’t speak for themselves? What about them? You know, we’re gonna turn around and we’re going to not only just speak up for the people, but the elders, the sick and the kids, the people, the most vulnerable,” Wuttunee stated.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com