SETON LAKE INDIAN BAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 17, 2008) - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians, Chief Larry Casper Jr. of the Seton Lake Indian Band and the Honourable Michael de Jong, British Columbia Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation are pleased to announce a final agreement on a longstanding claim dating back to the early 1900s.

"Settlement agreements not only promote reconciliation and respect, but they bring hope, certainty and new economic opportunities to First Nations," stated Minister Strahl. "I am pleased to announce the completion of this final agreement with the Seton Lake Indian Band and the Province of British Columbia. By working together through respectful negotiation, we have achieved a balanced solution of a very longstanding claim."

Under the agreement, the Seton Lake Indian Band will receive $600,000 from Canada and 31.6 acres of land from the Province which Minister Strahl will recommend be added to the reserve under the department's Additions to Reserve Policy. If the Band acquires other lands in the area, the Minister will, subject to the terms of the Additions to Reserve Policy, which requires consultation with local government, recommend the addition of up to another 168 acres of rural land in the area.

"This agreement is only the beginning to reconciliation with both levels of Government," stated Chief Larry Casper. He added, "We will seek to resolve other issues that impact our community. However, we view this agreement as a step in the right direction, and thank the parties for their work in its conclusion, as well as the community for its ratification."
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