The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that for the past 150 years, the Ontario and Canadian governments have “neglected” their treaty obligations to the Anishinaabe people of the Upper Great Lakes Basin.
The unanimous ruling found Crown had breached the revenue-sharing agreement, but no settlement was paid.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that for the past 150 years, the Ontario and Canadian governments have “neglected” their treaty obligations to the Anishinaabe people of the Upper Great Lakes Basin.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court said the King’s failure to consistently increase annual resource extraction revenues per capita for the two indigenous groups since 1875 had damaged his reputation.
“For nearly a century and a half, the Anishinaabe have been left with an empty shell of treaty promises,” the ruling said.
“The time has come for the parties to return to the negotiating table and rekindle the enduring relationship envisaged by the Robinson Treaty. Only by doing so will the Crown’s commitment to reconciliation be demonstrated.”
The ruling does not award any settlement money to the Huron or Superior Anishinaabe people, but it does establish an obligation for the Crown to negotiate increased resource revenues retroactively and prospectively.
More to come
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