Zagimē Anishinabēk First Nation takes step toward reconciliation with historic settlement of Treaty Land Entitlement claim

On June 30, 2022, the Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan announced the settlement of Zagimē Anishinabēk First Nation’s historic Treaty Land Entitlement claim as part of Treaty 4.

Treaty Land Entitlement claims address land shortfalls where First Nations received insufficient reserve land promised to them under Treaty. The negotiations between Zagimē Anishinabēk, the Federal Government, and the Provincial Government of Saskatchewan concluded with Canada and the Province agreeing to provide financial compensation, and additional support to add new land to reserve, working collaboratively to resolve this historical grievance. The ensuing Trust Agreement promotes prudent investing to generate a reasonable return to the Nation, with an appropriate amount of risk. It is a crucial and long-overdue step towards reconciliation.

Zagimē Anishinabēk First Nations has a strong history and is a community of rich cultural values and traditions. Its citizens and leadership are committed to continuing efforts to regain their Nahkawe language and culture.

Working alongside Zagimē Anishinabēk Chief and Council, as well as legal council, MNP facilitated the agreement in the following ways:

• Assisting in drafting the Trust Agreement for transparency and accountability
• Assisting Zagimē Anishinabēk with selecting the Trustee and Investment Consultant
• Holding presentations for the Citizens of Zagimē Anishinabēk explaining the Settlement and Trust Agreements

We would like to recognize and thank all those who helped make this historic settlement agreement possible. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Zagimē Anishinabēk Chiefs and Councils
• Brock Roe, Counsel at JFK Law
• Josh Morrison, Partner at MLT Aikins