Treaty annuities case headed back to court

The annuity settlement case for the Robinson-Superior Treaty is headed back to court after the latest negotiations failed.

The federal and provincial governments were given until Sunday to come to terms with representatives of the 12 First Nations by the Supreme Court of Canada.

First Nation leaders told CTV News that the governments weren’t “committed to coming to a fair resolution.”

Since 1874, Robinson-Superior members have received just $4 a year in exchange for the right to extract resources on their land.

Experts estimate that about $135 billion in resources have been extracted from the area in that time.

First Nation leaders said they didn’t start with a figure that high in negotiations, but the $3.6 billion final offer from the Crown was far from what they deemed fair.

“They were there to listen and take back the information. Well, that’s not a negotiation” said Patricia Tangie, Michipicoten First Nation chief.

Tangie said that in the last six months, the ministers were only present for talks for 2 ½ days.

“And this is the the dollar value that they come out with -- and it really is egregious.”

Neighbouring First Nations of the Robinson-Huron reached a $10-billion settlement with the two upper levels of government, but Robinson-Superior members said these are totally different negotiations.

‘That’s their prerogative'

“We’re not bound by what they’ve agreed to, nor would they be bound by what we’ve agreed to,” said Wilfred King, Gull Bay First Nation Chief.

“If they’ve agreed to that amount, that’s their prerogative.”

CTV News contacted both levels of government for comment and did not hear back before deadline.

Robinson-Superior chiefs said their case was launched in 1996 and are frustrated the process has been extended once again.

“The Crown has been unreliable and untrustworthy,” Tangie said.

“As I was growing up, we heard from our elders how the only thing that was consistent about the treaty was that it was never honoured by our treaty partners.”

“We have suffered, you know, for 175 years and living in abject poverty, forced to live in squalor … marginalized from our territories,” Tangie said.

“But again, we’re still here and we’re not going anywhere, and we’re going to keep on advocating for our people.”

Superior Court Justice Patricia Hennessy will now rule in the legal battle, and could decide on compensation, or order further negotiations.

First Nations have a hearing with her scheduled for June to make their arguments.