The Supreme Court of Canada is now reviewing testimony following a hearing involving Lac Seul First Nation.
The community was previously awarded $30-million for flooding of reserve land in 1929, but maintains that the sum was calculated unfairly by a judge.
The federal government did not ask for the First Nation’s consent for the project, which rendered nearly one-fifth of the reserve unusable.
Rosanne Kyle has practiced in the areas of aboriginal and environmental law for over 20 years and she opened the proceeding on Tuesday.
“For almost a century Lac Seul First Nation has lost the use and benefit of over 11,000 acres of their reserve lands. Lands that were set aside for them under the sacred promises of Treaty Three.”
Kyle went on to say “As Chief Clifford Bull stated in his testimony at trial ‘When Lac Seul people were told that their lands were going to be flooded, they said why? Why would you do this to us? After the Queen, herself, promised that these lands are forever for our use.”
She says “Now because of Canada’s inexplicable breaches and broken promises, the lands have been swallowed up for eternity. These lands supported Lac Seul and were an economic driver for their ongoing existence as an Indigenous community with a distinct culture.”
Kyle notes “Stripping Lac Seul of their use of these lands undermines their ability to sustain their culture and their people.”
