Alberta First Nation sues Ottawa over $5 treaty annuity, argues amount stuck in 1899

EDMONTON — A northern Alberta First Nation is suing the federal government to increase its annual treaty annuity payments.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam says the $5 his members receive every year is an amount that’s stuck in 1899, when Treaty 8 was signed.

The payments date back to the signing of treaties across the country more than a century ago and were meant to provide assistance to First Nations members.

Depending on the treaty, annuity payments made to First Nations members across Canada total either $4 or $5, and have never increased.

In a news release Wednesday, Adam said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s ancestors signed Treaty 8 with the expectation the benefits would continue for generations and not lose value over time.

“Treaty promises must remain meaningful, and it is not meaningful when a promise made in 1899 is still being paid at 1899 values,” Adam said.

“This case is about keeping promises.”

First Nations across Canada, including other Treaty 8 signatories, have also launched legal challenges over the payment amount in recent years, and in 2023 Ottawa and the Ontario government reached a $10-billion settlement with 21 First Nations in that province.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation isn’t seeking damages for alleged underpayment for the past 127 years, but in a statement of claim filed Tuesday in Edmonton it says it wants the annuity program modernized to deliver meaningful help.

The claim notes the purchasing power of $5 has declined significantly since the treaty was signed and that there was never any mention of inflation when it was being negotiated.

One online calculator pegs $5 in 1899 to be worth roughly $200 in today’s cash.

“The benefits promised under Treaty 8 must have real value for First Nations people today and for generations to come,” Adam said.

The Crown-Indigenous Relations department said it was aware of the lawsuit but that it was unable to comment further because the matter is before the courts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press