Kitselas First Nation Initials Treaty After Decades of Negotiations
The chief of the Kitselas First Nation has initialed a treaty with the governments of Canada and British Columbia, marking the end of decades-long negotiations to achieve self-governance.
The treaty, as outlined on the Kitselas Treaty Information Source website, aims to liberate Kitselas from the constraints of the Indian Act and establish the nation as self-governing. Negotiations for this agreement have been ongoing since 1993.
The Kitselas First Nation’s territory in northwestern B.C. spans from the coast to approximately 200 kilometers inland, including several reservations, according to the Kitselas website. The Kitselas First Nation has about 700 members.
Chief Bennett stated that the treaty will provide his people with land and financial compensation from both federal and provincial governments, potentially amounting to $139 million.
As detailed in the June 2023 Final Land and Cash Offer booklet, the land agreement could cover around 390 square kilometers.
However, some adjustments may still occur before the membership ratification process as consultations with neighboring First Nations continue, according to a statement.
The treaty must still be put to a vote before it can be signed. A spokesperson for the Kitselas First Nation said members are expected to vote on the treaty in April 2025.
However, the agreement is not without controversy. The Gitxaaɫa Nation and Lax Kw’alaams Band have expressed concerns about the treaty’s impact on their people, given the proximity of their territories to those of the Kitselas Nation.
Sm’ooygit Txagyet, also known as Clarence Innis, voiced worries about how the treaty could affect harvesting and fishing rights, as well as governance in their area.
“These actions directly contravene UNDRIP and the honour of the Crown, which legally require the governments to negotiate with Gitxaaɫa in these circumstances prior to initialling these modern treaties,” he said in a statement.
Lax Kw’alaams Mayor Gary Reece is demanding that his band be acknowledged and consulted in any land selection involving their territory.
