It has been formally recognized by the provincial and federal governments that 33 Saskatchewan First Nations did not receive the amount of land they were promised under the Treaties. While First Nations and the land reserved for them are a federal responsibility under the terms of the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement, 1930 the provincial government is obligated to help fulfil the federal government's outstanding Treaty land entitlements (TLEs).
In 1992, the provincial and federal governments and 25 First Nations signed the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement. It established a framework to address outstanding TLE obligations. Eight subsequent TLE agreements with individual First Nations have since been signed.
The TLE agreements are comprehensive. Part of the provincial government's role in implementing the TLE agreements is to ensure that any provincial third-party interests are identified and resolved prior to reserve creation.