Am I eligible for a land claim settlement payment?

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Question: Am I eligible for a land claim settlement payment?
Answer: The Government of Canada has been committed to settling Aboriginal land claims since 1973.

The federal government negotiates two types of land claims:

•comprehensive land claims, based on the concept of continuing Aboriginal rights and title which have not been dealt with by treaty or other legal means

•specific land claims arising from alleged non-fulfilment of Indian treaties and other lawful obligations or from the alleged improper administration of lands and other assets under the Indian Act

In most of the country, DIAND provides contributions and loans to Aboriginal claimant groups so they can research and negotiate their claims.

In British Columbia, however, the Government of Canada, together with the provincial government and the First Nations Summit, have established the British Columbia Treaty Commission (BCTC).

The BCTC is a neutral facilitating body which allocates federal and provincial funding to Aboriginal groups involved in negotiations in the province.

Details are available in Federal Policy for the Settlement of Native Claims, a policy paper produced by DIAND for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Contact Publications and Public Enquiries (Kiosk), DIAND, at (819) 997-0380.