Kitsumkalum First Nation and the governments of B.C. and Canada have reached a major milestone in the B.C. treaty process with the signing of an Agreement-in-Principle.
On August 4, 2015 the government alongside Don Roberts, Chief of Kitsumkalum First Nation signed the Agreement-in-Principle during a ceremony held at the Kitsumkalum Hall.
The Kitsumkalum Agreement-in-Principle includes approximately 45,406 hectares of land, north and west of Terrace, and a transfer of $44.2 million (to be adjusted for inflation), once a Final Agreement is reached.
The Agreement-in-Principle covers a variety of topics including governance, taxation and resources (fisheries, forestry, wildlife, water, subsurface resources). Processes for the First Nation transition from an Indian Act band to self-governing treaty First Nation are also set out in the Agreement-in-Principle. Now that the Agreement-in-Principle has been signed, Final Agreement negotiations will formally begin.
Quick Facts
- Kitsumkalum First Nation has coordinated efforts and shared resources at a single negotiating table with Kitselas First Nation (both are North Coast Tsimshian First Nations) to complete two separate Agreements-in-Principle.
- Kitsumkalum has 745 members; and approximately 32 percent of which live on reserve.
- In April 2013, Kitsumkalum community members voted to approve their Agreement-in-Principle.
- A 2009 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that completing treaties with First Nations could deliver more than $10 billion in benefits to British Columbia’s economy over the next 15 years.
“This is a happy occasion and we are pleased to recognize and celebrate this important milestone. It has been a long process which was initiated by our elders many years ago. Kitsumkalum First Nation has chosen the path for change and this couldn’t have been possible without community support and the many years of hard work of our elders and negotiation team. I am proud of these efforts which lays the foundation of self-government and economic independence. This will help bring control to our future within our territory lands of the 4 crest clans; and with that will follow the economic certainty.” – Don Roberts, Chief of Kitsumkalum First Nation