$150M cattle settlement approved by Blood Tribe members

Sep 20, 2021 | 11:29 AM

STANDOFF, AB – A major milestone has been reached for a significant settlement between the federal government and the Blood Tribe that has been 24 years in the making.

Members of the local First Nation voted 1,734 to 453 last week to accept a $150-million payment from Ottawa for the Treaty Entitlement Cattle Specific Claim.

As part of the Blackfoot Treaty of 1877, the federal government agreed to provide cattle to the Blood Tribe but never followed through.

“Because Canada did not provide the cattle as promised, the Blood Tribe suffered economic damages,” reads an overview of the claim from the Blood Tribe. “These damages were significant and included the inability to establish an alternative economy once the Buffalo were gone. This resulted in the loss of income that could have been generated from the original herd as well as its growth over time.”

Back in 1997, the Blood Tribe filed a Statement of Claim with the Federal Court of Canada. It was not until 2018 that the Government of Canada admitted it had breached the treaty by failing to provide the promised cattle.

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The government agreed to a $150-million settlement earlier this year. $157,450 will be allocated to covering the cost of negotiations, legal costs, and the loss of use assessment studies.

All registered Blood Tribe members will receive $3,000. $25-million will go towards a Long Term Investment Fund and millions will be spent on other infrastructure initiatives.

(Blood Tribe)

by David Opinko