Batchewana First Nation, ON – Today, Chief and Council of Batchewana First Nation (BFN) received word that the Ontario Government served their Notice to Appeal Justice Hennessey’s decision on the Robinson Huron Annuities Claim including costs.
Both Canada and Ontario have expressed their desire to negotiate a resolution to the claim of the Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) group to a fair share on the natural resource revenues within the RHT treaty territory.
“Batchewana is disappointed in the province’s decision, however, we are confident that Ontario and Canada will follow through on their inherited obligation through a mediated process. For decades our people have received the vastly inadequate annual amount that is nowhere near the value of our shared resources of this land,” said Chief Dean Sayers.
“The provincial government has a fiduciary obligation to honour our Treaties and Ontario’s decision to appeal the ruling is unacceptable. We as sovereign First Nations will stand together to ensure the promises of the original Treaty are fulfilled” added BFN Councillor Gary Roach.
Negotiations are to commence in the near future and Batchewana’s entire leadership will soon be in a better position to determine if Ontario prefers litigation to negotiations as the preferred method for achieving lasting reconciliation.
In Closing former Chief and current Councillor, Harvey Bell commented, “Ontario’s Premier Ford needs to stop politicizing our People’s wellbeing. The First Nation’s citizens of this province expect historic obligations to be honoured, we all deserve closure to this historic atrocity”.
