Federal Government Cautions Ontario Algonquins Against Disrupting Their Own Treaty Negotiations

Federal officials have cautioned Ontario Algonquin leaders against undermining their own organization’s modern treaty negotiations, according to a recently released document. The warning comes amidst political restructuring that has stalled potentially billion-dollar treaty talks.

In a March 8 memo addressed to the minister, Crown-Indigenous Relations officials emphasized that while self-government is a fundamental principle allowing Indigenous groups to self-determine their organizational structure, it does not grant them the right to unilaterally disenfranchise members or override the authority of an existing organization engaged in treaty negotiations.

Some Algonquin members view these concerns as unfounded, contradictory, and reflective of colonial attitudes that contradict the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

“It suggests that the government may disregard its commitment to UNDRIP and self-determination when it serves its interests,” said Veldon Coburn, an associate professor at McGill University and a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, located about 150 kilometers west of Ottawa.

“They still hold a paternalistic view that we are incapable of competently organizing and reconstituting ourselves as nations,” Coburn added.

The memo was issued shortly after CBC Indigenous reported that the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) had removed nearly 2,000 individuals from its 8,500-member electorate. This decision followed a tribunal’s conclusion that these individuals’ ancestors were not Algonquin.

Formed in 2005 to negotiate what would be Ontario’s first modern treaty, covering 36,000 square kilometers in eastern Ontario, AOO has faced controversy in recent years due to questions surrounding the Indigenous identity of many members and some leaders.

Following the membership purge, speculation arose within Algonquin communities that the AOO might disband, potentially being replaced by a new organization called the Algonquin Treaty Alliance.

The AOO consists of 10 communities, with only Pikwakanagan recognized as an official Indian Act band. The proposed new alliance would reduce the number of communities to seven, according to the Antoine Nation website, though legitimate members would not be excluded.

The federal memo, obtained by CBC News through access-to-information laws, reveals that Canada and Ontario have been closely monitoring these developments and have expressed concerns about the governance structure of the Algonquin Treaty Alliance.

Pikwakanagan Chief Greg Sarazin dismissed these concerns, stating that discussions on restructuring are ongoing.

“The Algonquin side is indeed exploring ways to reorganize our negotiation team, with the aim of enhancing the likelihood of successfully finalizing a treaty,” Sarazin said.

“There is no coup, and no attempt to usurp the AOO,” he emphasized.

Sarazin described the AOO as an administrative body that follows the direction of its elected negotiators but acknowledged that it has become dysfunctional over the years and unresponsive to Algonquin interests.

He also labeled Canada’s stance on political self-determination as contradictory, asserting that no members were unilaterally disenfranchised but were removed through a fair, impartial, and lawful process.

In one instance, approximately 1,000 now-removed members had relied on a questionable letter to prove Algonquin ancestry—a letter that a CBC News investigation suggested was likely fabricated.

This has led Coburn to question, “Who really usurped whom?”