Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation sues Canada over treaty annuity payments stuck at $5

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam says the $5 his members receive every year is an amount that's stuck in 1899, when Treaty 8 was signed.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation sues Canada over treaty annuity payments stuck at $5 Treaty 8 annuity payments set in 1899 have never increased A First Nation in northern Alberta is suing the federal government to increase its annual treaty annuity payments after 127 years of stagnant payments. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam says the $5 his members receive every year is an amount that's stuck in 1899, when Treaty 8 was signed. Depending on the treaty, annuity payments are either $4 or $5, and have never increased.

In a news release Wednesday, Adam said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation signed Treaty 8 with the expectation the benefits would continue for generations and not lose value over time. "Treaty promises must remain meaningful, and it is not meaningful when a promise made in 1899 is still being paid at 1899 values," Adam said. "This case is about keeping promises."

First Nations across Canada, including other Treaty 8 signatories, have also launched legal challenges over the payment amount in recent years, and in 2023 Ottawa and the Ontario government reached a $10-billion settlement with 21 Robinson-Huron Treaty First Nations in that province. $5 treaty payments won't even buy Tim Hortons meal today, says Alberta First Nation in billion-dollar lawsuit Collective or individual? The key question behind distributing $10B Robinson Huron Treaty settlement Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation isn't seeking damages for alleged underpayment for the past 127 years, but in a statement of claim filed Tuesday in Edmonton it says it wants the annuity program modernized to deliver meaningful help.

The claim notes the purchasing power of $5 has declined significantly since the treaty was signed and that there was never any mention of inflation when it was being negotiated. "The benefits promised under Treaty 8 must have real value for First Nations people today and for generations to come," Adam said. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said it was aware of the lawsuit but that it was unable to comment further because the matter is before the courts.