Every year, people in First Nations communities across Saskatchewan line up to receive a small cash payment. It is usually $5. It has been $5 for about 150 years. These are treaty annuity payments, and the day they are handed out is often called Treaty Day.
We are an Indigenous-owned clothing company in Saskatoon, on Treaty 6 territory. Treaty Day is part of the calendar in a lot of the communities we know. This guide explains what the payments are, how they work today, and why the amount has never moved.
If you want the background on each of the 11 numbered treaties, start with our numbered treaties explainer. This article stays focused on the annuity itself.
What treaty annuity payments are
A treaty annuity is a yearly cash payment from the Government of Canada to eligible First Nations people. It comes from promises written into historic treaties with the Crown.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) sets two conditions. A person must be registered under the Indian Act. They must also be affiliated with a First Nation that signed a specific historic treaty with the Crown.
ISC publishes a list of the First Nations entitled to annuities. According to that list, Treaties 1 to 8, 10 and 11 pay $5 per entitled person per year. The Robinson-Huron Treaty pays $4 per person per year.
Where the $5 comes from: the Treaty 6 wording
The amount is written into the treaty texts. Treaty 6 was concluded near Carlton in August 1876 and near Fort Pitt in September 1876. That is the treaty covering the land Saskatoon sits on.
The official text published by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada sets out the payments plainly:
- Each person: "the sum of $5 per head yearly."
- Each recognized Chief: an annual salary of twenty-five dollars.
- Each subordinate officer, up to four per band: fifteen dollars per year.
- A one-time present of twelve dollars for each man, woman and child in the bands represented at signing.
The text also promised Chiefs and subordinate officers a suit of clothing every three years. Each Chief was to receive a flag and medal, plus a horse, harness and wagon.
For more on the land and communities under this treaty, see Treaty 6 and Saskatoon: where XUSI comes from.
How treaty annuity payments are made today
ISC says most treaty payments are still made in cash. They are handed out at treaty payment events held in First Nations communities and in urban centres.
There are three ways to receive a payment, according to ISC:
- In person at an on-reserve or urban treaty payment event.
- Direct deposit to a Canadian bank account.
- Cheque, mailed within Canada or internationally.
People who cannot attend an event can fill out a Treaty Annuity Payment Request form. ISC asks that it be emailed with copies of identification to the treaty payments address on its website. Regional ISC offices can also help.
One detail matters for families. ISC says annuities not collected in a given year continue to accrue until they are collected. Missing a Treaty Day does not mean losing that year's payment.
Treaty Day events in Saskatchewan
The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Treaty Day is celebrated during the summer months in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. The first annual treaty payments were made in 1872, and they are still paid out today.
In the West, the encyclopedia says, celebrations can include powwows, dances, concerts and feasts alongside the payments. Some dignitaries wear replica treaty medals.
Here is one real Saskatchewan example. Kahkewistahaw First Nation held its 2026 Treaty Day on July 2 at the Chief Joseph Crowe Governance Center. Payments ran in two windows, 10:00 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
The Nation asked members to bring valid identification. Parents were asked to bring a Saskatchewan Health Card for each child receiving payment.
Each First Nation sets its own date and details. If you are a member, your Nation's office or website is the best place to check.
Why the amount has not changed
The short answer is that the numbered treaty texts name a fixed dollar figure. They do not say it should rise with prices. The Canadian Encyclopedia puts it directly: most recipients get "$4 or $5 annually," an amount "that has not increased over time to reflect inflation."
That gap is now being tested in court. Alberta Native News reported that Bearspaw First Nation launched a class action in late 2024. It argues Canada failed its treaty obligations by not adjusting the annuity since 1877.
The Robinson treaties are a different case
The Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior Treaties of 1850 in Ontario include a clause about increasing the annuity. A Government of Canada news release says the Robinson-Huron annuity rose to $4 in 1875 and stayed there for 148 years.
In 2023, Canada, Ontario and the Robinson Huron Treaty First Nations announced a proposed $10 billion settlement for past losses. In July 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Ontario (Attorney General) v. Restoule that the Crown breached those treaties. It found the Crown has a duty to consider whether, and by how much, to increase the annuities.
That ruling was about the Robinson treaties specifically. It does not change the wording of the numbered treaties.
Why a $5 payment still matters
Five dollars will not buy much today. So why do people still show up for it?
The Canadian Encyclopedia describes the payment as financially small but symbolically important. It confirms the ongoing relationship between treaty peoples and the Crown. Former Siksika Nation Chief Leroy Wolf Collar told Alberta Native News that "the $5 is a symbol of sovereignty of First Nations government."
Treaty Day is also a gathering. In many places, the payment table sits alongside feasts, dances and celebrations. The money is small, but the meaning is not.
That idea is close to why we started XUSI. Our designs carry Indigenous culture into everyday clothing, and many pieces come with a Cree word and a story on our Meanings page. You can read more about us or browse the full collection.
Related reading: Indigenous procurement in Saskatchewan
Questions people ask
How much are treaty annuity payments?
Under Treaties 1 to 8, 10 and 11, ISC lists the payment as $5 per entitled person per year. Robinson-Huron Treaty payments are $4.
Can I get treaty payments by direct deposit?
Yes. ISC offers direct deposit to Canadian bank accounts, mailed cheques, or cash at in-person treaty payment events.
What happens if I miss Treaty Day?
ISC says uncollected annuities keep accruing until collected. You can also request payment with ISC's Treaty Annuity Payment Request form.
Do non-Indigenous people attend Treaty Day?
Events are run by each First Nation for its members. Some include public celebrations, but check with the host Nation first.
Sources
- Indigenous Services Canada: Treaty annuity payments
- Indigenous Services Canada: List of First Nations entitled to treaty annuities
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Treaty Texts, Treaty No. 6
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Treaty Day
- Kahkewistahaw First Nation: Treaty Day
- Alberta Native News: The $5 payment that still defines Treaty promises
- Government of Canada: Robinson Huron Treaty proposed settlement announcement (2023)
- Mandell Pinder LLP: Ontario (Attorney General) v Restoule, 2024 SCC 27 case summary
Written by XUSI, an Indigenous-owned clothing and screen printing brand from Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory. Our story · What the words mean