"The historical evidence indicates that there were Dakota settlements in the 18th and early 19th century, at various times, in southern Saskatchewan, as well as Manitoba and northwest Ontario," Morrison said in an interview with CBC.
They were wage workers, and they pooled their extra salaries and bought the property they resided on in 1893 (via a trustee, as native people were not allowed to purchase land).
Again, the Canadian government interfered and placed an Indian Agent near the community next door (Long Plain) and took control of the farm; putting an end to the Dakota farmers’ free trade.
The sale of farmland to non-indigenous settlers and the erection of fences and "private property" signs also meant an end to hunting and trapping.
The Dakota were introduced to the welfare system in the 1950s, which was the final demise in attempts at creating the now remote self-sustaining community.
This means that the Dakota can enter negotiation for acknowledgement of their Aboriginal title claim, and they can also demand compensation for illegally seized property in Portage la Prairie.