On behalf of the elected leadership of the Chacachas Treaty Nation, we wish to provide an update to our members on recent developments in relation to the pursuit of full recognition and to the advancement of our Nation.
To advance the interests of the Chacachas Treaty Nation, we have retained a negotiation team composed of a negotiator/legal counsel and negotiator/advisor with over 60 years of combined experience working exclusively with First Nations in resolving claims and negotiating agreements. We have recently met with the Government of Canada on November 12, 2024 (virtually) and on December 2, 2024 (National Capital Region) to set the priorities for our discussions going forward. Should we require mediation, if disputes arise that cannot be resolved through negotiations, we will have an experienced mediator, former Supreme Court Justice the Honourable Frank Iacobucci.
Moving forward, Chacachas Treaty Nation will be advancing our interests in pursuing our claims as a separate stand-alone Nation which was determined in the court case. We will also be engaging with the Kakisiwew/Ochapowace First Nation as necessary to maintain a relationship where the two Nations support each other in the advancement of our mutual interests while each Nation pursues the resolution of its own separate claims in its own best interest.
We have identified three immediate priorities for the Chacachas Treaty Nation. The first priority is to have an established reserve land base. The promise of reserve land was a critical component of the Treaty promise to Chief Chacachas, and to function as an independent Treaty Nation, we must have our reserve land base which historically was surveyed for Chief Chacachas and our people. This will also help us access programs and services for our members. The second priority will be to negotiate an arrangement with the Government of Canada in relation delivering programs and services to Chacachas Treaty Nation. The third priority will be the development, submission and resolution of our outstanding Treaty claims. We will immediately be filing claims where Canada failed to fulfill to Chacachas Treaty Nation its promise under the terms of Treaty Four. In the next few months, we will also be filing claims that Treaty promises should be indexed or adjusted to account for inflation. In addition, we will be working on researching, developing, and submitting a claim for loss of use of the original Chacachas reserve which was taken from us illegally. We will also be investigating other potential claims for Chacachas Treaty Nation.
Finally, an Annual General Meeting information session will be held virtually from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on January 14, 2025 to keep the membership informed and review the financial audit, and we look forward to meeting then. In the meantime, we wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year 2025.
Chief and Council, Chacachas Treaty Nation.
