Okanese celebrates TLE shortfall

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One chapter has closed and another chapter has opened in the Okanese First Nation's land claims settlement process.

Okanese Chief Marie Ann Daywalker-Pelletier and federal Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault, along with provincial representatives, held a signing ceremony Dec. 15 at the Okanese Community Centre to honor the band's reaching of its "shortfall" acreage requirement under the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) Framework Agreement.

Okanese is the 13th Saskatchewan First Nation to achieve shortfall to date, and is the first in the Fort Qu'Appelle-Balcarres region to reach that point. This means Okanese First Nation has now purchased the amount of land required under the terms of its TLE agreement.

"Reaching shortfall now gives us flexibility, if we want, to buy land that doesn't meet all the strict criteria (for land purchased under the TLE)," said Daywalker-Pelletier.

A band that has reached "shortfall" is now able to use remaining monies from the TLE agreement, if the band chooses, to purchase land to create an urban reserve.

In comparison, rural lands bands purchase through TLEs must also include the mineral rights to that land. The land must also be free of any legal encumbrances.

After obtaining the maximum acres in the "short-fall" agreement, the band will also receive another $1 million over the next five years as part of the financial commitment from the 1992 agreement, said Daywalker-Pelletier.

"With that money we are looking to investing into our education program for our students, our young people, and possibly developing our education programs," she said.

Just over 7,100 acres - 2,879 hectares - of land have been set aside by the federal government through the TLE Framework Agreement for the Okanese First Nation. The land is part of a total package worth just over $4 million, said the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in a press release.

The federal and provincial governments, along with 25 First Nations in the province, signed the Saskatchewan TLE Framework agreement in 1992.

The TLE Framework agreement settles the land debt owed to those First Nations because they didn't receive all the land to which they were entitled under Treaties 4, 6 and 10 signed by the Crown and those First Nations between 1874 and 1906.

Under this agreement, the provincial and federal governments are providing those First Nations with $440 million over 12 years to purchase land, mineral rights and improvements, which include buildings and structures on that land.

The new reserve lands are located in the regional municipalities of Stanley, Tulleymet, Abernethy, McLeod, Livingston and Clayton.

In a speech before about 30 people at the Okanese Community Centre, Daywalker-Pelletier said much more work needs to be done to secure the band's economic and social future.

"Only one part of our development has been completed," she said.

Future talks must be held on issues concerning hunting, fishing and gathering.

"There are promises that have to be honored."

That was a theme echoed by other guest speakers.

"A 125-year debt to our people has finally been honored," said TLE Trust Chairman Art Walker, referring to the Treaty 4 signing of 1874. "Rectifying wrongs of the past is a good way to end this century." Even with the TLE settlements, status Indians - who make up 10 per cent of the province's population - control less than two per cent of the province's land base, said Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde.

"The attachment our people have to land is very close," he added. "This is a victory for the future of the people of Okanese."

File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council representative president Ron Crowe contrasted the achievements made by Saskatchewan First Nations under TLE settlements - and Okanese First Nation's operations in particular - with the "doomsday" warnings concerning British Columbia land claim settlements coming from the federal Reform Party.

"The miister should take the message to the Reform Party, and show them how Okanese has been responsible and accountable to all its members," he said.

In addition, Regina-Qu'Appelle MP Lorne Nystrom displayed a T-shirt sent to him by the Nisga'a Grand Council. The shirt said "Nisga'a 471/Reform 0," a reference to a Reform Party filibuster in the House of Commons which delayed passage of the legislation to implement the Nisga'a treaty.

Nault's visit was the first ever made by an Indian Affairs minister to First Nations in the Balcarres area, but the second visit to this district in less than five months. Nault, the federal MP for Kenora-Rainy River since 1988, was in Fort Qu'Appelle last September to mark Treaty 4 commemorations.

In his speech, Nault called the shortfall achievement a "small step in fulfilling our obligations.

"This achievement is a win-win situation for the people of Okanese and the people of Canada."