In 1850, some Anishinaabe of the north shore of Lake Superior signed the Robinson Superior Treaty with the Crown, although many of their communities did not. In exchange for access to a vast expanse of land in Northern Ontario, the Crown committed to a lump sum payment and a perpetual annuity to the Chiefs and their tribes that would increase based on the wealth that would in time be derived from the treaty territory. It later became clear that not all 12 RST First Nations whose traditional territories overlapped with the geographic boundaries of the Robinson Superior Treaty were represented at the signing of the treaty in 1850.

Despite significant economic development in the area, the annuity has remained capped at $4 per person since 1875. Robinson Superior Treaty Annuity Litigation challenged this inaction.

On July 26, 2024, after many years of litigation, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Superior Plaintiffs, stating the Crown breached its duty to adjust annuities as promised in the treaty. The Court granted the Crown six months to reach a settlement, or if no settlement is reached, to exercise its discretion in an honourable way to determine an amount owed as compensation for past treaty breaches.

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