Tsikaristisere/Dundee Land Claim Settlement Agreement-In-Principle
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne passed a resolution on June 27th approving the final draft of the proposed Tsikaristisere/Dundee Claim Settlement Agreement-in-principle. The Agreement will now be sent to the community for review and approval through a referendum.
The Mohawks of Akwesasne presented the Tsikaristisere/Dundee land claim to the Government of Canada in 1981 under the Specific Claims Policy. The claim was first accepted for negotiation in 1988. A revised claim was presented in 1998 and accepted for negotiation in 2002. In April 2015, the Government of Canada made a global settlement offer of $239,808, 436 for a full and final settlement of the claim. The offer was based on a careful consideration of the facts, evidence, and arguments of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Government of Canada.
Following the settlement offer, the parties have continued negotiations on the terms and conditions of a Final Settlement Agreement. In addition to the compensation that will be paid by the Government of Canada, the Mohawks of Akwesasne will have the opportunity to expand their reserve lands by adding up to 18,282 acres of land under Canada’s Additions to Reserve (ATR) policy. The lands will be acquired by the Mohawks of Akwesasne from willing sellers in Quebec and Ontario.
Grand Chief Abram Benedict noted, “I would like to commend the efforts of past and current MCA negotiation team members. For nearly 40 years, this hard work and dedication has led to the successful conclusion of negotiations between the MCA and Canada. As we go forth, we are looking forward to the community’s involvement in determining the approval of the settlement.”
The proposed Final Settlement Agreement will be initialed by the parties and submitted to the community for approval in a referendum. The Agreement will only be signed with the approval of the community. Council is planning in-depth information sessions to educate community members about the history of the Tsikaristisere/Dundee claim, the specific terms and conditions of the Agreement, including details on the compensation and acquisition of lands, and the ratification process itself. Community members are encouraged to attend the upcoming focus sessions.
Schedules for upcoming sessions will be posted online and announced to the Community.
Questions can be forwarded to the Aboriginal Rights and Research Office at 613-575-2348.