After 17 years of negotiation, the Tyendinaga Mohawk Council has announced that the membership of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte have ratified the Culbertson Tract Partial Settlement Agreement.
A total of 1,951 voted in favour of the agreement, representing 95 per cent of the 2,045 votes cast.
This agreement will restore 299.43 acres of land to the administration and control of the MBQ, which was illegally transferred by the Crown in 1837 without surrender. The agreement also brings more than $25 million, representing loss of use of that land for over 180 years, that will benefit the present and future members of the MBQ. The land is located to the west of Deseronto Road.
Council will embark upon a process of engagement with the membership to discuss options for the use of the compensation, subject to compliance with public health protocols during the COVID pandemic.
The Partial Settlement Agreement will now go to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (Canada) for signature by the minister in the near future, once the federal cabinet appointments take place.
Within 45 days following that signature, the financial component of the settlement will be paid into an interest-bearing account with BMO Nesbitt-Burns and the process for federal confirmation of the land
as reserve will begin.
“I am very pleased by the voter turnout and the very high level of support for the Culbertson Tract Partial Settlement Agreement,” Chief R. Donald Maracle said in a release. “This is a significant day for our community and in our history. Our original Mohawk Tract has been greatly reduced by surrenders and other alienations, many of which are suspicious and, in this case, simply illegal. Today, we have demonstrated that it is possible to reverse this trend and to reacquire administration and control of our land illegally taken from us. This agreement does not affect the balance of the Culbertson Tract negotiations and we look forward to continuing the work on having the remaining 623.4 acres of the Culbertson Tract restored.”
The land was first deeded on April 1, 1793 to the Six Nations in recompense for losses sustained as faithful allies of the British during the American Revolutionary War. On Feb. 17, 1837, 923.4 acres of the Mohawk Tract were illegally patented to John Culberson, without complying with voting requirements set out in the original deed. Negotiations have been on going with the federal government since 2003.
Further information regarding the agreement and next steps will be mailed to MBQ membership and posted to MBQ’s website in the coming weeks.