In 1962 the government of Manitoba contacted the Chemawawin Cree Nation asking them to surrender their lands so that the Grand Rapids Dam could be constructed.
The Chemawawin Indian Band signed Treaty 5 in 1876, significantly reducing their lands to a small reserve portion.
Although the Grand Rapids Dam did not come into fruition until over eight decades later, the memory of the loss of land stuck in the minds of the Chemawawin people and played a large role in their hesitation towards the project.
The details of the offer made by the government of Manitoba were outlined in the "Letter of Intent", or "Forebay Agreement", which was sent to the chief in April 1962.
Similarities to Treaty 5 made the people of Chemawawin wary of accepting the terms without careful consideration and further negotiation.
The government of Manitoba was fully committed to the project, and the Chemawawin people were informed that the building of the dam would go ahead regardless of their wishes to renegotiate terms.
The government of Manitoba felt that the terms stipulated in the Forebay Agreement were equitable and stated "it could represent the interests of these people adequately" .
The community of Easterville was created on the south shore of Cedar Lake, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Grand Rapids.
Eventually sanitation became a large problem in the area, as the town was reliant on well water, which became contaminated with human waste.
With the devastation to the trapping and fishing industries in Easterville social assistance payments increased significantly amongst the community members.
The agreement recognized some of the "adverse effects" that the Easterville resettlement had on the Chemawawin people and sought to pursue further compensation for the community.