TSAWWASSEN LANDS, British Columbia, Nov. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Nisg̱a’a Nation joined Tsawwassen First Nation, Tla’amin Nation, Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’ First Nations, Toquaht Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government by becoming a member of the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations.  Each member of the Alliance signed an updated Memorandum of Cooperation which formalizes the Nisg̱a’a Nation’s membership in the Alliance and reiterates the Alliance’s commitment to collaboratively address challenges in the ongoing work of treaty implementation in British Columbia.

Under our modern treaties, our nations have clear, unique, and constitutionally protected rights which are fundamentally different from indigenous groups with asserted rights.

The Alliance will continue its work to collectively address a wide range of priority issues requiring joint action, including prioritizing appropriate fiscal arrangements, emphasizing the constitutional nature of our treaty rights, and improving our government-to-government relationship.

The Alliance has been established for treaty-holding Nations in BC to collectively engage at the provincial level; a Canada-wide coalition (Land Claims Agreements Coalition) of modern treaty holders has been in place since 2003 to advocate for improved treaty implementation at the federal level.

“We are excited and pleased to be joining the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations.  While the Alliance does not replace the government-to-government relationship that each modern treaty holder has with the Province, there are some matters on which our collective strength and experience will benefit us all when working to resolve issues.” –President Eva Clayton, Nisg̱a’a Nation.

“The Nisg̱a’a Nation has led the way in many ways when it comes to treaty work in British Columbia,” says Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “Having another strong nation join the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations will give us a stronger voice and will help us continue to advance our treaty work with the Province.”

“Nisg̱a’a is a welcome addition to the Alliance, they bring a wealth of knowledge and governance experience to our group as the first comprehensive claims agreement in BC. We look forward to the work we can accomplish together.” Chief Councillor Charlie Cootes, Uchucklesaht Tribe.

The Nisg̱a’a Treaty came into effect in 2000, the Tsawwassen First Nation Treaty in 2009, the Maa-nulth Treaty (Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’ First Nations, Toquaht Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government) in 2011, and the Tla’amin Treaty in 2016.

Media Contact:

Dillon Johnson
djohnson@temixw.com