TRENTON, Canada 

A trio of Canadian Indigenous tribes began Friday handing out millions of dollars in compensation due to Ottawa’s failure to live up to agricultural treaties that are around 150 years old.

“We are actually working on the distribution today,” Muscowpetung Chief Melissa Tavita told CBC News, calling it a "bittersweet moment."

The tribes reached an agreement with the federal government—CAN$208 million ($150.8 million) to the Big River First Nation, CAN The One Arrow tribe will receive $124 million ($90 million), while the Muscowpetung First Nation will receive CAN$99 million ($72 million). All three are in the province of Saskatchewan.

The government did not live up to the agricultural agreements that are commonly referred to as the "cows and plows" treaty. The tribes were assured that under the treaties, they would receive agricultural assistance, including farm tools and livestock. Ottawa did not honor the agreements.

"This settlement signifies new and promising pathways for current and future generations of our people," Big River Chief Jonathan Bear said in a news release. "While also affirming our Nation-to-Nation relationship with Canada by acknowledging our inherent Treaty rights as First Nations people."

Canada has agreed that the terms of treaties were often broken and has paid out more than CAN$9 billion ($6.5 billion) in agricultural benefits under the cows and plows agreements.