Christopher Devlin, the lawyer for Driftpile First Nation in northern Alberta, one of the bands claiming back payments of the ammunition and fishing line, said yesterday the ammunition and fishing gear was promised by the federal government in 1899 as a way of ensuring the Indians would be able to support themselves by hunting and fishing. Treaty 8, negotiated with Indian bands across northern Saskatchewan, Alberta and northeast B.C., includes clauses awarding chiefs and band members farming tools, seed and livestock "and for such Bands as prefer to continue hunting and fishing, as much ammunition and twine for making nets annually as will amount in value to one dollar per head of the families so engaged in hunting and fishing." According to Mr. Devlin and the Driftpile First Nation, Ottawa never delivered the promised ammunition and twine. Between 1899, when the treaty was signed, and 1952, the Driftpile band received none of the agreed-upon ammunition or fishing line, according to the claim.