Vancouver: Seven First Nations in British Columbia announced the establishing of an Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations (ABCMTN) July 24. The alliance will seek to act collectively on issues that have arisen during the implementation of existing treaties.
By signing a Memorandum of Cooperation, the group commits to collaborating on areas of mutual interest related to treaty implementation in British Columbia. The ABCMTN will address a wide range of issues requiring joint action, including revenue sharing, police service agreements, and co-management of fisheries, lands and resources.
The group explains that a Canada-wide coalition of modern treaty governments has been in place for some time to advocate for improved treaty implementation at the federal level; however, no mechanism was in place for treaty Nations in BC to collectively engage at the provincial level.
"Many of the issues we're facing as modern treaty Nations today are the result of developments that none of the parties anticipated during treaty negotiations. The formation of the ABCMTN will benefit all parties as we work to resolve these shared implementation-related issues," said Chief Charlie Cootes, Maa-nulth Treaty Society.
The BC Treaty Commission (BCTC), facilitator of the BC treaty negotiations process, signed today's Memorandum of Cooperation as a witness. Each of the ABCMTN member Nations is in the sixth and final stage of the BC Treaty process: implementation of the treaty. The Tsawwassen First Nation treaty came into effect in 2009, the Maa-nulth treaty in 2011, and the Tla'amin treaty in 2016.
Formative members are the Tsawwassen First Nation, Tla'amin Nation, and the five Maa-nulth Nations (Huu-ay-aht, Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Chek'tles7et'h', Toquaht, Uchucklesaht, and Yuu-u-i-at).