NCN’s Deputy Chief, Marcel Moody signs Advance Payment Agreement for Treaty Land Entitlement ensuring NCN will receive an advance of $23,195,876.00.

News Release for Immediate Distribution – Saturday, March 8, 2025

NISICHAWAYASIHK CREE NATION, MANITOBA — Chief and Council are pleased to announce that today, our Nation along with the Treaty Land Entitlement Committee of Manitoba Inc. (TLEC) and 13 other Manitoba First Nations (“the EFNs”) entered into an Advance Payment Agreement with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.  In accordance with a formula agreed upon by the 14 First Nations working collaboratively together, NCN will receive an advance payment of $23,195,876.00.  The advance payments to our 14 First Nations total $210 Million.

NCN Citizens originally voted to approve the Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement in 1998. The conversion of our TLE selections to reserve lands has been delayed for a number of years while Canada’s breach of the Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement was litigated by NCN, TLEC and the other EFNs.  On March 19, 2018 an Adjudicator determined that Canada had breached the TLE Framework Agreement.  The Adjudicator’s award was registered as a judgement of the Federal Court on April 23, 2021 and then a Statement of Claim was filed on June 29, 2022.  Canada filed a Statement of Defence on October 31, 2022.  NCN is a party in this litigation which is seeking billions of dollars for breach of the Agreement, loss of economic development, land use and related matters.

Negotiations have been underway for the past few years to try to resolve this claim without protracted litigation.  In the late fall of 2023 NCN and the other 13 EFNs approved in principle a tentative, without prejudice settlement offer and an allocation formula which could not previously be disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.   Since then we have been waiting for Canada to provide the formal written offer that is necessary to proceed.  At the same time, we have been proceeding in Federal Court in order to keep the matter moving forward if we are not able to achieve a final negotiated settlement.

The Advance Payment Agreement option arose in the past few days.  Under the terms of the Agreement NCN (and the other 13 EFNs) will receive some moneys this year while negotiations and/or litigation continues and will be applied against any final settlement amount.  Chief and Council hope that a final settlement agreement will be available for approval by our community later this year.  More information will be provided to the community as soon as it is available.

In the meantime, Chief and Council want to acknowledge the long-term vision and guidance provided by our late Elders D’Arcy Linklater Sr. (Kamunitowe Pemohtet – Spiritwalker) and Jimmy Hunter-Spence (Wapiski Ohow Ka apit – White Snow Owl Sitting) who were actively involved in trying to get these matters resolved prior to their passing.  We also want to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our colleagues Councillor Jeremiah Spence, our current TLEC Board member, his predecessor Regional Vice-Chief Willie Moore, past Chiefs and Councils,  Lands, Environment and Resources staff, our legal team and Deputy Chief Marcel Moody who drove to Winnipeg on short notice to sign the Agreement and attend the press conference with Minister Anandasangaree.

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation is located at Nelson House, Manitoba, about 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg and 80 kilometres west of Thompson. NCN has close to 5,300 members living in Nelson House, South Indian Lake, Thompson, Brandon and Winnipeg.

-30-

For more information, contact:
Deputy Chief Marcel Moody
Phone 204-484-2332 or cell: 204-679-0157
or [email protected]