WIIKWEMKOONG—Frustrated by what they allege is a lack of transparency over the calculations behind the distribution of the Robinson Huron Treaty Annuity settlement funds and the path forward on negotiations over the future of the Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) funds a group of Wiikwemkoong elders created a petition that quickly garnered 1,500 signatures.
It isn’t so much about the money, although a number of the elders believe they have been shortchanged by as much as $110,000, but more about what they characterize as poor to no communication.
“In regard to fighting for our rights, we’re trying to address it to the chief and council in regards for providing transparency for the negotiations,” said Elder Josh Eshkawkogan. “Negotiations started back in 2012, it was settled back in 2021, and the announcement came 2023.”
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“During that process of negotiations, we the band membership never really had any kind of consultation in relationship was going on,” agreed elder Tina Eshkawkogan. “It was very secret, and in regards to the distribution there was never really a clear indication where their equation of the breakdowns came from. The plan to each individual was never given to the people. Like, for myself, for example, what was the total amount of my annuity in regards to the claim?”
“All they said to us was that they were willing, they were going to give 60 percent to the band membership, and they were going to keep 40 percent,” noted Mr. Eshkawkogan. “That didn’t really sit well for a lot of people, because for me in the way their equation breakdown was they gave me 60 of my annuity, and they kept 40.” For Mr. Eshkawkogan, he estimates that amount being retained, shortchanged as he put it, “would be over $115, 000. That’s just for me.”
Those funds would make a significant difference to the recipients, he noted. “Yeah, I could pay my house off, you know? We, the people, have approached the chief and council on numerous times asking for transparency in regard to how they came about with the 60/40 split. They never answered our questions.”
Frustrated, a couple of women in the community started the petition.
“This petition was served on August 25,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “We had a deadline of August 5, but due to a request from band members that haven’t had a chance to sign in yet, they asked us to extend it. So, we extended it to August 25. We extended it by 20 days, and then the petition was presented on the 28th.”
The band council set a date in regards for when they would meet with the people who signed the petition. The date that the council would announce when they would meet is October 14. “To announce the date that they’re going to meet with the people.”
The petitioners had requested a meeting within 30 days, but that deadline will be well in the rearview mirror by the time the meeting will take place. “So, the 30 days that we gave them has extended to more than six weeks,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “I don’t know if it’s a stalling tactic that they’re doing for them not to address this issue. It shouldn’t take that long to address a petition if they are really going to listen to the people. So, they’re totally ignoring the whole petition and making their own agenda in regard to how they’re going to proceed with this petition.”
According to Mr. Eshkawkogan, the band council requested the petitioners supply them with five or so questions so they could prepare the answers.
“Apparently, they were really hard, and they couldn’t answer them,” he said. “It’s hard to understand what their motive is.”
In the meantime, work has begun on an expansion of the band council administration building. “They first said it was going to cost $40 million, now it’s going to cost more than $70 million,” he said. But the band members’ priorities lie elsewhere, alleges Ms. Eshkawkogan. Those priorities include the building of a nursing home for the community’s elders. “They had a nice ribbon cutting and everything just last summer,” but then everything stalled.
“They had all the decisions made overnight, they totally ignored the building of the nursing home, we’ve been crying for a new school for over 20 years now,” he said.
“The Youth Centre has been condemned three times in that building,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “I went to school there when I was in Grade 2, you can see how old we are.”
Primarily, the elders said they believe the chief and council are following their own priorities instead of those identified by the community.
“There were a total of 21 meetings that were done both on and off reserve and at those meetings there was a concern raised about how was the settlement agreement money going to be dispersed,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “Some people were asking for referendum, some people were asking for a vote, those concerns were brought up at each and every community consultation meeting. How is council going to this? How is council going to decide on the benefits? Will the people have a say? Are we going to have a vote? Those questions still haven’t been answered.”
“It seems to me that they don’t want to give the money back to the community,” suggested Jean Oshkabewisens. “They’re hiding all that money; I think they already spent it.”
“There’s no accountability,” suggested Mr. Eshkawkogan. “There’s nothing. The government just gives the bands money and lets them run willy-nilly.” The elders say they have requested audits on the RHT disbursements.
“The first demand is that we demand our full and rightful treaty annuity from the past compensation from the RHT,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan, “that the monies be released and paid out in full with the interest.”
“There is $25 million that came in for interest,” said Ms. Eshkawkogan. “That’s just the interest, and number two that we demand to see the full audited financial statements of the RHT program within Wiikwemkoong and the full audits of the RHT Legacy Fund.”
The issue of a lack of transparency is nothing new, note the elders, pointing out that the previous settlement funds for Pointe Grondine remain a mystery. “Nobody knows what they’ve done with it,” they allege. The community, they point out, voted to invest those monies for the future.
“Since then, it has grown from $13 million to $23 million, all we’ve been spending is the interest, so there’s that pot of money sitting there,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “We also have an islands claim, which is still being negotiated. And there’s going to be a compensation coming there as well, land and compensation.”
“What we’re trying to do basically is to inform the people,” said Ms. Oshkabewisens. “How we’re going to proceed with addressing the annuities.”
The elders explain that their reason for reaching out to The Expositor on this issue is to bring it to those band members who are living off reserve. “The majority of our members live off-reserve.”
The concerns of the youth in the community are also not being adequately addressed. “The youth wanted to see a new youth center,” said Ms. Oshkabewisens. “The youth wanted to see a sporting facility, to see proper street lighting because they’re afraid when they walk around at night. The youth wanted to see better roads and the community identified the elders’ home as a priority, and none of these things are being built or worked to address. Band office expansion was not a priority. It was not even mentioned.”
“The need for more housing, the lack of activities for youth, the elders’ home, those were our priorities,” said Mr. Eshkawkogan. “The chief and council built a wall. It’s a big wall, and they don’t even want to let us through it onto the other side.”
The group’s third demand is for accountability and transparency on any and all future negotiations regarding the province and RHT of 1850.
The elders are concerned that the RHT Legacy Fund is the vehicle in which the band will be negotiating the ongoing settlement. In the past, band members were given $4 a year as an annuity, an amount that had not risen for practically 150 years. “Future annuity payments are going to go to the RHTLF,” said Ms. Eshkawkogan. “And then the RHTLF is going to disperse it to the 21 First Nations, and then those 21 First Nations will decide if their band members get any.”
The main response for the lack of disclosure of how and what is being negotiated is that it is a legal negotiation and must be kept confidential.
The elders express the concern that the RHTLF negotiators will be signing away the existing treaty rights of their children and grandchildren and that they will not know about it until it is a done deal and too late.
