Our Areas of Work

Dakota Historical Resources produces expert witness reports for court and other legal processes on behalf of Indigenous communities across Western Canada. 

For example, to date we have composed expert witness reports concerning the Government of Canada’s provision of agricultural benefits—or the farming tools and animals promised under treaty—for over a dozen Treaty 4 and 6 First Nations, with more in progress.

DHR has worked or currently works with First Nations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia in a number of treaty areas (Treaties 4, 5, 6, 10), along with non-treaty communities. In addition to treaty benefit claims and other issues surrounding the fulfillment of treaty promises, we have experience in researching and writing about land surrenders, rights-of-way, access to lands that were set apart for haying, fishing, or other purposes, non-Aboriginal use and infringement on reserve lands, government stewardship over band funds, and other topics. 

Dakota Historical Resources stresses factual exactitude and high readability in its reports. As well, we are intimately aware of the specific burdens of evidence production for legal purposes, and are adept at producing high-quality scans of archival evidence, document indexes, and other data sets.

Since 2014, Dakota Historical Resources has lent its expertise to the efforts to designate (at different government levels) a number of heritage sites, including both physical structures and cultural or spiritual landscapes. As well, we have written promotional and other materials geared for public consumption concerning these types of sites.

Dakota Historical Resources has worked with multiple Indigenous communities, corporate and academic clients, and government agencies (such as health services entities) on developmental editing and writing projects centered on public engagement or government relations. We have written and edited annual reports, handbooks, briefings, short research or policy papers, website content, and community histories.