Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation reaches settlement agreement on Treaty Land Entitlement specific claim

HATCHET LAKE DENESULINE FIRST NATION, TREATY 10 TERRITORY, SK, Sept. 1, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, Chief Bartholomew J. Tsannie of Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), and the Honourable Eric Schmalz, Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs announced a settlement agreement for a treaty land entitlement claim as part of the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement.

Treaty land entitlement claims address situations where First Nations did not receive the amount of reserve land promised to them at the time of treaty. In this case, the Government of Canada did not provide Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation with the full amount of land it was entitled to receive under Treaty 10, which was signed in 1907. The treaty required the Crown to set aside 640 acres per family of five, or 128 acres per person.

Under the settlement agreement, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan will provide Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation with $29,602,664 as full and final compensation for this claim. The Nation may also apply to add up to 28,118 acres of land in line with the federal Additions to Reserve Policy on a willing buyer/willing seller basis.

Settlements provide First Nations with capital that can be invested in community priorities, such as land purchases, infrastructure, and economic development, and create new opportunities that can benefit First Nations and local and regional economies.

Settling specific claims is one way to address past harms, rebuild trust, and support reconciliation in a way that respects the rights of First Nations and all Canadians. This settlement agreement demonstrates the federal and provincial governments' continued efforts to renew relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

Quotes

"This settlement has been a long time coming for the people of Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation. Our ancestors entered into Treaty 10 with the understanding that its promises would be honoured, including the land that was owed to our people. Today, we honour the generations who carried this claim forward and whose determination brought us here. This agreement gives our Nation an opportunity to invest in our community and create a stronger future for our children and grandchildren."

Chief Bartholomew J. Tsannie
Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation

"Treaties are promises, and for too long, the promises made to Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation under Treaty 10 were not fully honoured. This settlement cannot undo that history, but it recognizes the wrong that was done and takes a meaningful step toward righting it. I'm proud that Canada is fulfilling its responsibility and helping create new opportunities for Hatchet Lake to invest in its land, its community, and its future."

The Honourable Buckley Belanger
Secretary of State (Rural Development)

"Reaching this settlement together, we help support Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation in a meaningful way with new opportunities for community development, investment and long-term growth. Saskatchewan continues working with First Nations and the Government of Canada to strengthen relationships and support a stronger future for Indigenous communities across our province, while honouring outstanding obligations."

The Honourable Eric Schmalz
Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs

Quick facts

• Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation and the community of Wollaston Lake are situated on the south-eastern shoreline of Wollaston Lake in the Athabasca region of Northern Saskatchewan.
• Specific claims deal with past wrongs against First Nations. These claims--made by First Nations against the Government of Canada--relate to the administration of land and other First Nation assets and to the fulfillment of historic treaties and other agreements. Claims are addressed through an alternative dispute resolution process under the Specific Claims Policy, and, since 2009, the Specific Claims Tribunal Act.
• Under the settlement agreement, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will provide $23,250,513 in compensation, and the Province of Saskatchewan will provide $6,352,152, for a total compensation value of $29,602,664 to the Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation.
• Since the Specific Claims Program began in 1973, 801 claims, totalling $24.7 billion in compensation, have been settled through negotiations.
• In 1992, the provincial and federal governments and 25 First Nations signed the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement. It established a framework to address outstanding TLE obligations. Twelve subsequent TLE agreements with individual First Nations have since been signed.

Associated links

• Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation Website
• Specific claims
• Additions to Reserve Policy
• Treaty Land Entitlement in Saskatchewan

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SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

For more information, media may contact: Gloria Joseyounen, Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, [email protected]; Alec Wilson, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, [email protected]; Media Relations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, [email protected]; Media Relations, Government of Saskatchewan, 306-787-4340, [email protected]