Thread by @madinuk

"Some have estimated that the [Huron nation] land may have yielded between C$500m and C$1bn in revenue from resource development over the years."

https://twitter.com/madinuk/status/1078648678670319616

So this case finally happened … in law school, I asked why the annual payment was never increased or challenged and prof said that it was a hard case because govt other payments.

$4 purchasing power was a lot more 167 years ago … shameful its remained the same all this time.

I couldn’t believe many First Nations members would line up annually for their $4 a year payment. Some out of principle, some out of need.

Majority of Canada’s historical treaties were in fact a template with identical terms.
Canada stopped negotiating treaties around 1920s.
Almost immediately Canada failed to live up to obligations except for the annual payment which reduced in purchasing power year after year.

I researched and read every Canada-First Nations treaty in the country.

I tried to ascertain what $4 is in 2006 (when I did my research) and it was tough. However, not impossible.

Applying straight inflation of $1 in 1900 = $30 in 2018.

However, if one invested $ especially in land or property, those investments skyrocketed from 1900 to 2018.

Of course, a lot depends on where that land is situated, whether urban or rural, whether there’s resources or not.

Always “location, location, location” and how the market changes and plays out over time.

USA purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2M for 1.5M hectares, IOW, 2 centre per acre or $4.74/km2.

In 50 years, USA made 100x back from that deal as Alaska. $7,2M => $7.2B.

In 2017, Alaska valued at $7Trillion.

Pretty darn good investment for USA.

In the USA, average price of an acre of agricultural land in 1900 was $20 per acre.

In Canada, the government in 1871 was offering 160 acres free land with $10 administration fee with requirement to cultivate 40 acres and build homestead within 3 years.

Approximately 118,000,000 acres (478,000 square kilometres) of land were given away by the government under the Dominion Lands Act.

“Average” rural land prices vary across Canada.

In 2017, “average” price of an acre in Ont. was $10,000 or $5,400 in BC or $2,700 in PEI.

118,000,000 acres x $5,000 an acre = $59Billion.

To counter the complaint that First Nations don’t pay taxes, I’ve often stated that FN pay the highest land taxes.

First Nations prepaid it, as part of their treaty or non-settled treaties with Canada.

Canada doesn’t exist without indigenous lands & resources.

Canada’s wealth - as is all countries - is built on land & exploitation of resources.

I didn’t bother to get into the historical and current land valuations in the cities - which of course - is also indigenous lands:

Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, Regina, Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, etc.

Now we’re talking TRILLION$

I didn’t do the maths on how much wealth these acres of land produce.

All depends on where land situated, natural resources: mining, logging, agriculture, etc.

Easy to extrapolate that $59Billion of land worth produces trillions of wealth annually.

Canada’s GDP is $1.653T.

It is fair to say that the First Nations who negotiated and entered into these early treaties with Canada were prepared to share their lands and resources with settlers - with an expectation - that the wealth created would benefit both Canada & First Nations.

Very little evidence after the 1st treaty that Canada was negotiating in good faith.

It appears that the treaty negotiation was simply a ruse to get First Nations to give up lands & resources for empty promises.

Proof is in the lack of implementation & non-stop games/harms.

Sometimes the treaty negotiator for Canada didn’t realize that they were being used by Canada either.

A few negotiators were devastated to later learn how Canada duped them and the First Nations.

I haven’t even mentioned the manipulative or dishonest acts done by Canada to get treaties signed, including the lies told or removing chiefs or creating new chiefs while the real chiefs/leaders weren’t around or getting chiefs to sellout for their own personal gain.

While clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada, I had the unique opportunity to request and receive 1000s of pages of documents related to all treaties in Canada.

The purpose was to produce a summary for my judge, to provide historical context for a treaty case.

The summary became the property of the SCC. I really wished that it was possible to publish it. It would be virtually impossible for me to reproduce this again.

While at the SCC, I also requested and read the history and implementation of the Indian Act. Reading the HoC transcripts regarding the various legislative changes over the years revealed terrible prejudices and blatant racism against First Nations

I think the worst outcome for Robinson-Huron treaty case is the Govt. increases the $4 annual payment to $30 per member.

300,000 members x $30 = $900k/yr

Reconciliation requires more, such as a true partnership in economic development opportunities.