Dave Heron expected to get his yearly $900 treaty land entitlement payment through the Salt River First Nation last Monday鈥� until he got a form letter from the chief on Oct. 30 telling him he and 144 other members wouldn鈥檛 be getting one again.
He says he鈥檚 filed a human rights complaint against the First Nation, through the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and that this decision might even split up the band itself.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of talk of seeing what can happen, possible legal action or just another route altogether in forming a separate band,鈥� said Heron, who lives in Yellowknife. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 open and possibly happening.鈥�
The reasoning stated in the letter is that the band is not getting additional funding from Canada for Heron and other members who became members of the band after the First Nation鈥檚 treaty was settled in 2002, so the chief and council voted to halt payments to preserve the amount the original signatories are getting.
鈥淭his decision affects you and the other 144 who were added to our membership list after 2002 but who are not descendants of the original 757 beneficiaries,鈥� reads the letter, signed by Chief Frieda Martselos and the six members of council.
Martselos did not respond to News/North鈥檚 request for comment.
鈥淲hile council must protect and preserve the TLE [treaty land entitlements] for the beneficiaries against the dilution of additional members imposed on [Salt River First Nation] by Canada, we assure you that we will continue to fight to receive rightful and appropriate compensation from Canada so that you can be added to the TLE as a beneficiary,鈥� the letter also states.
It goes on to advise members to take their complaints directly to Canada, pinning the blame on the federal government for refusing to pay more compensation into the First Nation鈥檚 trust鈥攖he funding behind which was agreed upon in the First Nation鈥檚 2002 settlement.
The text of the treaty settlement states that Canada agreed to pay the band $83,180,000 鈥渋n full satisfaction of Canada鈥檚 obligations related to the provision of reserve land and ancillary treaty benefits under the terms of Treaty No. 8 and related matters.鈥�
Heron says he鈥檚 not the only one who views this decision as wrong, but he鈥檚 received support from members both new and among the original 757.
鈥淚 know they have their reasons but they've got to realize that we鈥檙e people they鈥檙e dealing with and not numbers,鈥� said Heron.
According to the Salt River First Nation鈥檚 yearly audits, posted on its website, the settlement trust accounted for $4,235,424 of the total $4,958,317 in revenue in its 2016 budget. This pays for every aspect of the band鈥檚, and their reserve鈥檚, operations. Of this money, per capita distribution was pegged at $636,769鈥攖he third largest consolidated expense item. The largest expense posted was salaries and benefits for the first nation, pegged at $853,983.
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