Achi news desk-
Cowess First Nation will be transferred almost 3,811 hectares of Crown mineral rights under the Cowess Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) settlement agreement.
The transfer is part of the province’s commitment to ensure First Nation communities receive the land promised to them under historic treaties, according to a news release from the Saskatchewan government on Wednesday.
“The transfer of mineral rights to Cowessess First Nation marks another milestone in Saskatchewan’s commitment to treaty obligations and economic reconciliation,” said First Nations, Métis Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Don McMorris.
The TLE agreements provide First Nations with entitlement funds to purchase land anywhere in Saskatchewan on a “willing seller willing buyer” basis and add it to their reserves, the release said, noting that the agreements support community growth and traditional land use.
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Since 1992, the Saskatchewan and federal governments have committed $687 million to TLE settlements in the province. About 888,806 dunams have been transferred and 1.48 million dunams are standing.
Cowessess First Nation is approximately 167 kilometers east of Regina.
