Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (July 08/02) - Celebration and congratulations abounded when the Salt River First Nation (SRFN) recently held a ceremonial signing of its treaty land entitlement agreement with the federal government.

However, there was still time for the facts of history.

"After Chief Squirrel signed our treaty - Treaty #8 in 1899 at Smith's Landing - it would be fair to say that the government forgot about the promises and obligations it had to Salt River First Nation," said Chief Jim Schaefer at the June 22 event in Fort Smith.

Despite repeated requests from the band for the federal government to live up to the promises in the treaty, he explained, "Ottawa instead focused on creating a park to protect the bison, rather than meeting the Crown's treaty obligations to our First Nation."

Schaefer said it was only in the early 1990's that aboriginal leadership effectively brought treaty entitlement claims to the federal government. "However. it would still be 10 more years before we had a treaty entitlement settlement."

In all, 17 speakers took to the microphone at the signing ceremony to express gratitude and congratulations, while explaining how the signing was an extremely important day for the SRFN.

Calling it an historic agreement, Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Robert Nault said it marks a giant step towards a stable, prosperous future for the SRFN, Fort Smith and the region.

"I've often said that settling land claims clarifies ownership of land and resources, and creates a positive climate for economic and social development," Nault said. "Today's settlement sends a clear signal to entrepreneurs and investors, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike, that the Salt River First Nation is eager to bolster its economy. I believe we can expect numerous new partnerships to form as a result of this agreement."

The deal, which was reached last year and ratified by SRFN members just before Christmas, includes over $83 million and reserve land in and around Fort Smith and in Wood Buffalo National Park.

Congratulations were extended from Premier Steve Kakfwi, Western Arctic Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew, NWT Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jim Antoine and many others.

"The future will belong to those of us who can find a way to take agreements like this and bridge the differences between the Metis and other First Nations in this area, the Town of Fort Smith and other governments," Kakfwi said.

Calling the deal one of the best treaty land entitlement agreements in Canada, Blondin-Andrew said it provides a message to other aboriginal groups currently in negotiation, some of who were represented at the signing ceremony.

Things are possible if people work together, she said. "It seems difficult and hard to achieve sometimes, but pleased be assured that this is how results are born, by hard work and by dedication."

Following the signing, chief federal negotiator Tim Christian said it had been difficult to reach a settlement.

"It was a large claim, and it broke ground because it was the first reserve to be established in the North since the Hay River Reserve," Christian explained. "So it took a lot of work to persuade the department that we ought to do this."