The Government of British Columbia and Kitselas First Nation launched the provincial ratification of their modern treaty Wednesday (April 15), marking a major step toward self-government, expanded land ownership and resource rights for the Northwest B.C. nation.
After a technical briefing introducing the Kitselas Treaty Act, the bill was tabled in the Legislative Assembly of BC and received first reading.
The reading serves as the initial steps of taking the nation out from under the Indian Act and granting it self-government, along with ownership of roughly 38,000 hectares of land and associated resource rights.
Premier David Eby said the legislation is long overdue and helps the province move closer to addressing and fixing “long-standing injustice.”
“It took 30 years to get here, but I am very proud and honoured to be the premier on duty when you finally get it across the line with the provincial government,” Eby said to the First Nation.
“This will bring certainty, this will bring opportunity, this will bring a future of healthy and strong community for the Kitselas people.”
Kitselas councillor Cyril Bennett-Nabess said the treaty is not just for the First Nation but for all of B.C.
“It’s a means of moving forward together,” he said.
“We have achieved it not only as a community, but working together with British Columbia and Canada, something that our forefathers set out to do at the turn of the century, something that they wanted so much for our people.”
Eby added that he hopes the treaty will also serve as an example to all British Columbians and Canadians, and show that the provincial government is committed to working in partnership with First Nations.
“Until these issues are addressed, we cannot take comfort in the fact that we have addressed the historic wrongs that were done to Indigenous people in this province,” he said. “This takes us one step closer to where we need to be.”
The legislation follows the Kitselas members’ strong approval of the treaty and self-governing constitution in a ratification vote last April, where 85 per cent were in favour of the treaty and 81 per cent were in favour of the constitution.
While the treaty is welcome news for the Kitselas community, other First Nations are calling out Eby and the provincial government, urging them to pause the bill.
The Wei Wai Kum First Nation, the Nine Allied Tribes and Lax Kw’alaams Band issued a joint statement prior to the briefing and subsequent legislation, citing failures of reconciliation commitments and legal obligations.
A delegation also travelled to Victoria, where they held a conference on the legislature steps and threatened legal action. They said that Eby refused to meet with them.
The First Nations groups said that they are the “impacted Indigenous nations” of the Kitselas treaty, and while they support treaties for all First Nations, they said that the current process is flawed and the provincial government has not met its obligations to consult and accommodate.
“Treaties must be implemented in a manner that reflects Indigenous law, respects neighboring nations and upholds the honour of the Crown,” the statement read.
“Advancing treaty legislation in the face of unresolved territorial and governance issues between nations risks undermining reconciliation and creating long-term conflict and uncertainty.”
They urged every member of the Legislative Assembly to vote against the treaty bill, but the bill was carried, and will receive second and third readings before it can pass and receive royal assent.