Teme-Augama claim nears settlement

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A century-old standoff over Native land rights in central Ontario may finally be coming to an end.

The Teme-Augama Band reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government on a land claim dispute that has prevented land development in the region for the last two decades.

The agreement would see 297 square kilometres of land handed over to the band for their own use, $15 million in compensation and the shared stewardship of 1,295 square km of land around Lake Temagami.

And land development and resource use decisions on the remaining Crown land in the area would require consultation from the Teme-Augama Anishnabai.

Band chief Gary Potts said he endorsed the deal and plans to present it to his assembly Sept. 17.

"We are on a path to recovery, a path which will take the Teme-Augama Anishnabai into a future that holds promise for everyone," he said. "There's a lot of work to be done but it's a major step."

The band has agreed as part of the bargain to drop their decades-old land caution appeal on all the townships in the Temagami area. The band filed the cautions covering land around Lake Temagami and the town of Temagami back in 1973, effectively preventing development such as logging in the region.

"The lifting of the cautions will come as good news to many people in the area," said Bud Wildman, minister responsible for Native affairs.

But there should be no rush of new development in the near future, he added.

The Teme-Augama Anishnabai had originally laid claim in 1877 to 10,000 square kilometres around the lake, claiming the land was never surrendered in the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850.

The current round of treaty negotiations, which were scheduled to wrap up Aug. 17 whether finished or not, began three years ago, shortly before the Supreme Court ruled the Natives' claims invalid.