The annuities case settlement, announced in June, has now been signed by all the First Nations — next stop, signatures from Ontario and Canada
NationTalk: Sudbury.com – Further down the path to the settlement for each member, the Robinson Huron Treaty signatory nations have now signed the settlement agreement. Next to sign will be Ontario, then Canada, with a projected timeline of spring 2024 for per capita distributions.
The settlement is a result of the RHTLF’s 2014 filing of an Annuities Statement of Claim, a claim for resource revenues.
Last year was a game-changer for the 21 First Nations under the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850, with the provincial and federal governments proposing a $10 billion dollar settlement in the historic annuities case ongoing since 2014.
Several of the 21 First Nations have held consultation sessions over the last year, with many continuing into 2024. Once the settlement has been finalized, it will be distributed to the 21 nations from the RHTLF Trust based on a formula agreed to by the RHTLF and their councils.
In an January update to members, the RHTLF stated the trustees from each nation met on Jan. 3 to sign the agreement together.
Additionally, “the governments of Canada and Ontario have completed their internal approval processes regarding the Settlement Agreement,” reads the release. “This means that we are moving forward with getting all signatures from all parties on the Settlement Agreement.”
The settlement agreement will be signed by the Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford on behalf of the provincial government, and then sent to the federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree to sign on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Members of the signatory nations should have access to the details of the settlement agreement through confidential means, as led by each First Nation’s chief and council. The details of the agreement are privileged and confidential, and therefore not disclosed to the public.
In closing, the RHTLF states that “more information will be shared with your communities once the settlement agreement is finalized. Meanwhile, your Chief and council will continue to hold local engagement sessions to provide information and make decisions on fund disbursements at a local level.”
You can find more information about the RHTLF on their website, found here.
Sudbury.com Staff