A member of Garden River First Nation ‘chained’ themselves to their vehicle outside of the band office in a bizarre spectacle Monday, calling on leadership to distribute another payout from the Robinson Huron Treaty settlement among community members.
Rene Belleau had a small, flimsy chain that was fastened around her neck with a padlock. The other end was secured to the hubcap of her vehicle, which was adorned with signs bearing slogans such as ‘show us the money.’
She was also wearing a muzzle — a visual prop used to highlight Belleau’s belief that band members who want a 100-per-cent per capita distribution of settlement proceeds are being silenced by the First Nation and discouraged from protesting.
“I feel that’s not right, and you should have a right to protest,” she said. “I’m wearing a muzzle, because I feel like a gag order is kind of like a muzzle.”
Garden River’s share of the historic settlement for past compensation is approximately $610 million, with up to $50 million expected due to the reduction of a 'war chest fund' that was set aside by the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund for future legal costs.
Although members of Garden River First Nation received a per capita distribution of $110,000 each in October 2024, Belleau is calling on leadership to fork over a second payout to band members, similar to other First Nations in the treaty territory.
The protester claimed there haven’t been any opportunities to meet with council to discuss the distribution of settlement proceeds after the past couple of council meetings were cancelled due to deaths in the community.
“We have not got any answers at all,” Belleau said.
The 1850 Robinson treaties ceded more than 100,000 square kilometres of land in the upper Great Lakes region to the Crown in return for annual payments to the Anishinaabe of Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
Both treaties said the payments should increase over time as resources were developed on the land, so long as the Crown did not incur a loss. Chiefs were able to negotiate an increase to $4 per person in 1875, but the annuities have remained frozen since.
A historic $10-billion settlement for past compensation was finalized last February, with Canada and Ontario paying out $5 billion each to Robinson Huron beneficiaries for failing to increase treaty annuity payments for nearly 150 years, as wealth generated in the territory through resource revenues from the mining, forestry and fishing sectors continued to grow.
Belleau believes all proceeds from Garden River’s share of the settlement should be distributed among band members.
“It’s 100 per cent our money,” she said.
But leadership doesn’t see it that way at all. Speaking with SooToday at the band office Monday, Garden River First Nation Chief Karen Bell said council’s decision to scrap the idea of a 100-per-cent per capita distribution was based on recommendations to chiefs and trustees made by both the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund and its legal team during meetings involving all 21 First Nations that took part in the annuities court case.
“I know that’s what they keep asking for, but it’s not going to happen,” Bell said.
“I don’t know how else to say it, but I’m here for another three years — if you don’t like it, then elect somebody else. But you’re not getting 100 per cent of that money.”
More than $200 million is currently sitting in an interim trust, with the intention of eventually transferring the funds to a "legacy trust" that will be set aside “for very specific purposes,” that have yet to be determined, Bell said.
Potential uses for the shared fund will be informed by polls, surveys and feedback that was collected from band members earlier this year as part of the community engagement process.
Bell noted that roughly three quarters of members live off-reserve, and that Garden River has to be inclusive of all members when potential uses for the legacy trust are being discussed.
Band council will make a decision on a potential second settlement payout in the near future, Bell added, while cautioning that if approved, a second round of payments “won’t be anywhere near the amount,” of the initial $110,000 received by 3,411 band members last year.
Council has also requested a written opinion on this matter from the legal team and the Bank of Montreal (BMO), which is holding the settlement proceeds, and is preparing to meet with both parties sometime this month.
Leadership has been advised that Garden River’s finance team would have to handle the distribution of a potential second payout, the chief added, because BMO was only obligated to carry out the initial per capita distribution.
“It’s going to be a work in progress, and it has to be the decision of the council,” Bell said.
Bell disputed Belleau's allegations around a lack of transparency when it comes to the settlement, while pointing out that an online portal has been established in order to provide up-to-date information to membership.
“All the information is out there, you just have to go on the portal and read it and look at it,” said Bell. “It’s not like we’re withholding anything.”
The chief maintained that her “door is open,” when it comes to band members asking questions about the settlement, while imploring members to approach council members for information as well.
“Don’t be afraid to ask them questions — be respectful and be kind in your approach, and you should be successful in getting honest, truthful answers,” she said.
But Belleau — who remained chained to her vehicle for nearly eight hours on Monday — strongly believes that leadership in Garden River lacks transparency and accountability when it comes to the settlement proceeds, which she feels should be shared among band members.
“I feel like, in a sense, our money is being stolen,” she said.