The Government of Canada and Enoch Cree Nation reach agreement on Yekau Lake Practice Bombing Range

ENOCH CREE NATION, TREATY 6 TERRITORY, AB, Nov. 13, 2020 /CNW/ - Honouring Canada's legal obligations to First Nations, righting historical wrongs and working collaboratively to renew the relationship is key to advancing reconciliation with First Nations in Canada.

Today, Chief William Morin and the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, announced that the Enoch Cree Nation and the Government of Canada have taken a major step forward on the path of reconciliation and renewal by concluding a negotiated settlement to resolve the Yekau Lake Practice Bombing Range specific claim.

The Enoch Cree Nation submitted its Yekau Lake Practice Bombing Range Specific Claim in November 2007, on the basis that the Crown breached both its fiduciary and statutory obligations under the Indian Act in respect of the lease of the former Yekau Lake Bombing Range as part of Canada's war effort during the Second World War. Canada will provide $91 million in compensation to fully and finally resolve the Yekau Lake Practice Bombing Range specific claim.

The Enoch Cree Nation has designated the Yekau Lake Bombing Range as natural parkland for the purposes of traditional land use, cultural medicine restoration and protection. Resolution of the claim will enable further unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) training, remediation, and land use monitoring jobs for Enoch members. Canada will remain available to support, as required, Enoch Cree Nation in these efforts.

Quotes

"Congratulations to the Enoch Cree Nation on your vision, on all your hard work getting us to this day and the designation of the Yekau Lake Bombing Range as traditional land use, cultural medicine restoration and protection. Today advances Canada's work to right historical wrongs and renews our nation-to-nation relationship with Enoch Cree Nation."

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

"We thank the Government of Canada for coming to the table in a meaningful way to resolve this claim. We acknowledge our past, our ancestors and elders who endured this bombing of our lake; we acknowledge the difficulty of today and how this settlement provides a significant act of Reconcili-Action when we need it the most; and we acknowledge a renewed effort to restore the land for future generations."

Chief William (Billy) Morin
Enoch Cree Nation

Quick facts

• Progress on the resolution of specific claims continues. From January 1, 2016 to October 31, 2020, 148 claims have been resolved, for $3.5 billion in settlement funding to First Nations.
• As of October 31, 2020, there were 563 claims in the Specific Claims Inventory: 145 in assessment, 350 in negotiation and 68 before the Specific Claims Tribunal.

Associated links

Unexploded Explosive Ordnance (UXO) Program

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

Emily Williams, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, 819-997-0002; Media Relations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-934-2302, [e-mail]; Enoch Cree First Nation Communications, Tanya Cardinal, 587-989-0775, [e-mail]