What is the difference between Treaty Land Entitlement and a specific claim?
TLE pertains to situations where a First Nation did not receive the amount of land they were promised when they signed Treaty. By contrast, specific claims arise out of a situation where a First Nation has had reserve land wrongfully or unfairly taken away by the federal government. Another important difference is that specific claims are a matter exclusively between the federal government and First Nations. Saskatchewan’s only involvement in specific claims is to provide assistance, where feasible, to facilitate the transfer of land to reserve status. This includes identifying occupant interests on Crown lands. In TLE on the other hand, Saskatchewan has a legal obligation as a result of the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement (1930) to provide Crown land to the federal government so that it may fulfill treaties.
