1907 Land Claim Process

Tanisi and Anin, Cowessess First Nation Citizens,

Chief and Council would like to provide another update on our specific claims following the recent federal election.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Rebecca Alty as the new Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations. We welcome this appointment and are eager to begin building a relationship with Minister Alty to ensure Cowessess remains a top priority. The new Liberal government has also appointed three Indigenous ministers—a promising signal of continued focus on Indigenous issues, including specific claims.

Our team continues to work closely with legal counsel and federal representatives to maintain momentum on our 1907 Land Claim. We are in the final stages of negotiation with an informal agreement on an amount, and Canada has indicated readiness to proceed once internal processes are completed. What remains uncertain is the timing and content of the upcoming federal budget.

The timing and process for this claim looks different for Cowessess compared to other Nations because amounts over $150 million fall outside the Minister’s spending authority and must be included in the federal budget passed by the House of Commons. The House of Commons resumes on May 26, 2025, and we have been assured that specific claims remain high on the federal agenda. However, until the session opens and the budget is tabled, we cannot confirm whether Cowessess will be included in this round of funding. Our priority in the weeks ahead is to meet with Minister Alty to ensure that, when the budget is presented, the Cowessess 1907 Claim is included within it.

Once the budget reflecting the Cowessess 1907 Claim is passed by the House of Commons, the Minister will issue a formal offer, and the Nation will move into the ratification process, where membership will decide on whether to accept the offer and associated benefits. This process is expected to take up to one year. Following that, negotiations on our Agricultural Benefits Claim (“Cows and Ploughs”) will begin.
We will continue to share updates as the process continues. Thank you for your ongoing patience, support, and trust as we navigate this path together.

Chief Erica Beaudin
Cowessess First Nation