Members of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) will go to the ballot box later this month to decide what comes next for what have commonly been called “Cows and Plows” claims.
The vote deals with financial compensation for the Crown promising in 1876 to provide agricultural equipment like cows and bulls, ploughs, seeds and such, but never fully delivering what was owed. The original promise, part of treaty negotiations with First Nations across western Canada, was not honoured and kept Indigenous people from being able to take full advantage of the coming agricultural boom, helping cause a long line of cascading issues of inequality and mistreatment.
Since May 2023, the federal government has paid out almost $2 billion in claims to western Canadian First Nations as a result of the claims.
Back in September, PBCN received a formal offer of settlement from the federal government on the claims, holding a series of public information sessions for band members. Last October, First Nations covered under Treaties 5, 6 and 10 - including PBCN, covered under Treaty 10 - settled on terms for claims under Cows and Plows, totaling almost $1.4 billion. Some First Nations, including Lac La Ronge Indian Band, have already distributed much of their settlement to band members.
If the vote passes, the Treaty 6 Agricultural Benefits Settlement Agreement (reached between PBCN and the federal government), the PBCN agricultural benefits settlement trust agreement and PBCN agricultural benefits finance code will each be approved. Copies of each document are available on PBCN’s website at PBCN.ca.
On the ballot, voters will be asked whether they agree to the terms and conditions of the three agreements and if they authorize and direct the band’s chief and council to sign all documents and approve the three agreements.
Ratification votes for PBCN members will take place throughout this month, first with a round of electronic voting, then an in-person vote. Electronic voting for PBCN members begins Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. and will run until Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. and can be done on pbcn.simplyvoting.com. At the website, voters will be prompted to verify their date of birth and status card number before being guided through the voting process.
In-person, polling stations will be set up in seven PBCN communities and in Saskatoon, each on Jan. 24 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Voting in Denare Beach will take place at the Denareplex, while Deschambault Lake voters will cast ballots at Kimosom Pwatinahk Collegiate. Pelican Narrows voters will vote at the local band office. In Prince Albert, voters will go to the Coronet Hotel to cast their ballots, while the Gary Morin Memorial Hall will be the site for Sandy Bay. Saskatoon voters will have to go to the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre. In Southend, voters will go to the local band hall and Sturgeon Landing residents can vote at the Sturgeon Landing Youth Centre.
An information session was held at Plaza 88 in Prince Albert Jan. 7, taking place from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. - livestreams of the session were available in Denare Beach, Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay, Saskatoon, Sturgeon Landing and Southend.
