Lyackson First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, B.C. Reach Milestone Agreement

Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes, and the BC government are celebrating a key reconciliation milestone that will enable the return of culturally significant land in the Cowichan River valley.

A ceremony was held last week to sign an Incremental Treaty Agreement.

Under the deal, B.C. will transfer a parcel of recently purchased private land to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes.

The two have entered into an inter-community memorandum of understanding that holds the lands in partnership until a plan is put in place to divide the lands into equal, separate parcels.

Prior to colonization, Lyackson had a winter village at the mouth of the Cowichan River, and for generations, their members have been advocating for a community base on Vancouver Island.

Lyackson’s reserve lands are currently located solely on Valdes Island, south of Gabriola Island, and lacks ferry service, water supply, electricity, water and sewage.

Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes will seek to add the land to their respective reserves through the federal Addition to Reserve after the transfer takes place.

This reserve creation for Lyackson First Nation has long been supported by Cowichan Tribes, guided by the shared teachings of nuts’a’maat shqwaluwun (working together with one mind, one heart, one spirit) and ts’ets’uw-wutul (helping one another).

Premier Eby says everyone, and every community, needs a place to call home. He says the historic agreement creates a long-awaited home base for the Lyackson First Nation, while also supporting the Cowichan Tribes’ housing and community development priorities.

The lands are near an existing Cowichan Tribes Indian Reserve known as Skutz Falls IR8, a small area of land adjacent to the Skutz Falls Provincial Park that is used for fishing and other harvesting and gathering purposes.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.