VANCOUVER, BC, Xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam),
Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), July 22,
2024 /CNW/ - The BC Treaty Commission congratulates
the K'ómoks First Nation (K'ómoks) and the governments of
British Columbia and Canada on the initialling of the K'ómoks
Treaty. This milestone signals that the Parties have reached
substantial agreement and progress on the treaty.
The K'ómoks Treaty is still subject to legal and technical
review and Crown consultations that will continue beyond the
initialling. Should the K'ómoks members vote in favour of the
Treaty, provincial and federal ratifications will follow. Effective
date and implementation are planned for 2028 at the earliest.
"The K'ómoks Treaty will constitutionally protect and recognize
K'ómoks rights and title, provide the foundation for
self-government, law-making and taxation powers, and a clear
nation-to-nation, government-to-government relationship with
Canada and British Columbia," says Chief Commissioner
Celeste Haldane. "This is an
unprecedented time. K'ómoks is the third First Nation to initial a
Modern Treaty including provisions from the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and all the
innovative policy and recognition advancements."
Today several special guests joined the K'ómoks community and
leadership to witness and celebrate the initialling of the Treaty.
Guests included the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of
Crown-Indigenous Relations, the Honourable Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations
and Reconciliation, North American Member to the United Nations
Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Dr.
Sheryl Lightfoot, local Members of Parliament Gord Johns and
Rachel Blaney, and local MLAs
Ronna-Rae Leonard and Josie
Osborne.
Like the eight Modern Treaties currently being implemented in
BC, the K'ómoks Treaty will be a living agreement that will evolve
over time, incorporating innovations and recognition of rights into
the future.
Recent policy developments on taxation, the Recognition and
Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in
British Columbia, and the
provincial and federal Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples legislation have improved the negotiations process and
current Modern Treaties.
Quick Facts:
- To learn more, please read the tripartite news release about
today's initialling and the Parties' next steps.
- K'ómoks has approximately 350 members and its traditional
territory spans the Comox Valley
in the central eastern part of Vancouver Island.
- K'ómoks, Canada and
British Columbia signed the
K'ómoks Agreement-in-Principle in 2012.
- In 2017, the Province and K'ómoks signed an Incremental Treaty
Agreement.
- In 2019, the Parties signed the Agreement to Revitalize K'ómoks
First Nation Treaty Negotiations, to streamline and expedite
negotiations for conclusion.
- K'ómoks is the third First Nation in British Columbia to initial a Treaty in 2024.
In June 2024, Kitselas First Nation
and Kitsumkalum First Nation both initialled their Treaties with
the provincial and federal governments.
- There are eight self-governing Modern Treaty Nations in BC:
Nisga'a Nation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Huu-ay-aht First Nations,
Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nations, Toquaht Nation,
Uchucklesaht Tribe, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet) First Nation, and Tla'amin
Nation.
ABOUT THE BC TREATY COMMISSION
The Treaty Commission is the independent body responsible for
overseeing treaty and tripartite reconciliation negotiations among
the governments of Canada,
British Columbia and First Nations
in BC. It has three main roles: facilitation, funding, and public
information and education.
SOURCE BC TREATY COMMISSION