Today, March 8, 2025, in Winnipeg, MB, the Treaty Land Entitlement Committee (TLEC) of Manitoba and the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, announced an advance payment of $210 Million as partial compensation for the losses caused by the Federal Government’s past failure to implement the 1997 Manitoba Framework Agreement Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) in accordance with the honour of the Crown.

The advance payment commitment follows years of intensive and collaborative negotiations between the TLEC Entitlement First Nations (EFNs) and Canada where consensus was reached on the core elements of a potential final settlement of the EFNs’ multi billion-dollar loss-of-use claim.

These negotiations commenced following a series of legal rulings made in favour of the EFNs in binding arbitration in 2018 and by the Federal Court of Canada in 2021.

When received by each of the TLEC’s 14 Member EFNs, the advance payments will be applied against the potential final loss-of-use settlement claim against Canada.

At today’s announcement, Chief Nelson Genaille of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, and TLEC’s President, stated: “The willingness to make an advance payment makes clear to any observer that the federal government fundamentally agrees with the First Nations’ position and demonstrates that Canada is now prepared to move forward with the final settlement agreement on the terms that were jointly developed in 2023, and we hope a final agreement will be reached later this year.”

He further stated: “The advance payment commitment should be seen as a good-faith gesture by Canada, and as evidence of Canada’s seriousness to now move quickly to finalize the comprehensive settlement. Doing so, will avoid protracted, costly litigation that is not in anyone’s interest.”

The 14 EFNs that will receive a share of the $210 million advance include:

Barren Lands First Nation

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Buffalo Point First Nation

Bunibonibee Cree Nation

God’s Lake First Nation

Manto Sipi Cree Nation

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation

Northlands Dene First Nation

Norway House Cree Nation

Opaskwayak Cree Nation

Rolling River First Nation

Sapotaweyak Cree Nation

War Lake First Nation

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation

The exact allocation, or share, will be determined internally by these 14 EFNs.