The Métis nations of Alberta and Saskatchewan have filed a major land claim lawsuit against the federal government that seeks redress for an area of roughly 120,000 square kilometres – about 526 times the size of Saskatoon.
The appellants say they are seeking compensation from Ottawa alleging the government never came close to honouring what was promised to Métis people under the scrip system.
Under scrip, the lawsuit says each Métis individual was promised 160 to 240 acres of land, or equivalent monetary value, but the federal government never came close to living up to the agreement.
Most of the land in question involves territories in the northern parts of both provinces.
Ron Quintal, a spokesperson for the appellants, said they believe the law is on their side.
“If you look at cases like the Manitoba Métis land claim and the fact that the federal government said it
was a dark chapter in Canadian history, it was a farce,” he said. “And I think that we can prove all day long our claim. I think we are the same people and we were also cheated out of our traditional territory.”
Jim Durocher of Ile-a-la Crosse, a spokesperson for the lawsuit, said for more than 100 years governments and industry have been benefitting off resources on Métis lands in northern Saskatchewan but Métis people have received virtually nothing.
“If you were to travel through northern Saskatchewan, you’d see our youth, our young people, have nothing,” he said. “We have mental health issues, we have a high suicide rate, we have a lot of drug and alcohol problems and we don’t have recreation facilities for our kids, for example.”
The lawsuit was formally filed Wednesday morning in Saskatoon at Court of Queen’s Bench.
(PHOTO: Members of the Alberta and Saskatchewan Métis nations leave Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon after filing a major land claim lawsuit against the federal government. Photo by Fraser Needham.)