In May a Saskatchewan First Nation community failed to meet their voting threshold which put a land claim settlement agreement into limbo. But in the most recent vote by the Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation, 64 per cent of eligible voters showed up and it was announced Monday that settlement has been approved.
Part of the settlement includes a payment of $150 million and allowing the First Nation to purchase around 18 thousand acres of land that can be converted to reserves. Of those who voted, 99.8 per cent voted in favour of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation 1909 Surrender Indian Residential Claim Settlement Agreement.
In a news release Chief Melissa Tavita said, “Now we have an opportunity to bring prosperity to our people and homelands, we invest in ourselves so the future generations will grow up proud to be from Muscowpetung.”
Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation is located 60 kilometres north of Regina in Saskatchewan with a total population of 16-hundred people.