Negotiations Nearing Completion On Proposed Modern Treaty For K’ómoks First Nation

Negotiations are nearing completion on a proposed modern treaty for K’ómoks First Nation.

It’s been working on the deal with the federal and provincial governments since 1994.

Planning is underway to initial the treaty, which begins a process to determine if the proposed treaty will be ratified.

In 2012, K’ómoks, Canada and B.C. reached an agreement-in-principle on a proposed treaty, establishing agreement on the elements to be detailed in the completed treaty.

In the years since, K’ómoks and B.C. have engaged with different levels of government, industry, interest-holders and people in the region on various elements of the proposed treaty, and K’ómoks has worked closely with its local government partners to invest in shared services and regional economic development.

Initialing will signal that the negotiations are substantially complete, subject to certain caveats, including that, where necessary, consultations will continue and that there will be ongoing legal and technical drafting work until all parties agree and the ratification process can begin.

First, the K’ómoks membership will vote on the draft treaty as part of the ratification process.

If ratified by the First Nation, legislation will be introduced to ratify the treaty provincially, then federally. The effective date for the treaty is anticipated for 2028.

The proposed treaty would, among other things, ensure Aboriginal rights are recognized and not extinguished, and describe the parties’ agreement on the exercise of rights, lay out negotiated approaches to self-governance and confirm land parcels to be owned and governed by K’ómoks, address existing interests and tenures on proposed treaty lands, and formalize consultation and opportunities for co-management of resources within the First Nations’ traditional territory.

Through the treaty, K’ómoks would no longer be subject to the federal Indian Act.

The treaty would provide significant certainty in the territory through a modern and constitutionally recognized government-to-government-to-government agreement.

The Province says established modern treaties have resulted in 8.8% higher average wages for people in their regions, and the investment of billions of dollars in local communities and their economies.

For more information, visit Government of British Columbia.