Whitefish band votes for $19 million land deal

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Three years of land claim negotiations behind closed doors have made Whitefish Indian band members on this northern Alberta reserve a few hundred dollars richer.

Each of the 850 band members will receive a one-time per capita payment of $500, after voting on a land claims settlement October 23.

A majority vote of Whitefish band members have voted in favor of the band receiving title to 5,500-plus acres and a $19,168,000 cash payment from the federal and provincial governments.

For the past two and one-half years, band officials have held meetings to keep their members updated on land claim proceedings.

Since September 1989 the band has held meetings in High Level, Peace River, Slave Lake and Edmonton.

With approval of the deal, band members must now wait for final approval from the federal government.

If the agreement does get final approval, Chief Eddie Tallman plans to invest $17 million dollars and set aside $2.168 million for the band's use. In addition, $500,000 will pay for legal costs.

The deal was strictly a land and money deal Treaty rights were not negotiated in the deal.

"We have a clause within the agreement that it will not jeopardize our treaty rights, not now or ever. The claim will not jeopardize any future existing funding for the band from the federal and provincial governments," said Tallman.

In order for any of the money to be used on band projects, 75 per cent of band members must be in agreement. Only 25 per cent of the funds may be withdrawn at any one time.

Tallman says the Whitefish Indian band is not only interested in the quantum of land or money but is also concerned with wildlife management.

"We're negotiating with the province on wildlife management. We're looking at the traditional hunting and trapping areas. We're looking at the management on the forest management," he said.

Tallman foresees some future opposition about band leadership.

"Anytime you have a rich town everyone wants to be mayor," he said.