Kitselas First Nation members vote in favour of self-governance

Members of the Kitselas First Nation in British Columbia's Skeena Valley region have voted to become self-governing.

The nation said in a news release that more than 96 per cent of its enrolled voters took part in the ratification on Thursday.

It said 85 per cent voted for the treaty, while 81 per cent voted "Yes" for its constitution.

The nation says the vote means it will no longer be "controlled by Canada's Indian Act" and will work for the next three years to implement the treaty.

It says under the treaty, enrolled citizens will be able to vote in elections, receive treaty benefits, exercise their rights and run for elected office.

The treaty — which was initialled in June by the nation and the governments of Canada and British Columbia— has been under negotiation since 1993. 

"This is a historic day in the history of our people. The years of work, dedication, effort, worry and wonder have now ended. We can rejoice in our independent status," elected Chief Councillor Glenn Bennett said in a release Thursday.

"We are no longer slave to rules and repression of the archaic and regressive Indian Act that has no place in a free and modern society."

Christine Boyle, B.C.'s minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, congratulated the nation on Friday, saying it has been in treaty negotiations with provincial and federal governments since 1993, and the successful ratification vote is a decision "generations of Kitselas people have worked toward."

She said in a statement that the treaty is a "path to self-governance, recognition of rights, collaborative resource management, and new economic opportunity."

"It provides the basis for a revitalized relationship between Kitselas, their neighbours and all levels of government by fostering shared understanding, providing certainty and supporting further work together in the region," she said. 

Provincial and federal ratification will now involve the B.C. Legislature and Canadian Parliament passing legislation to implement the treaty, Boyle said.

There will also be opportunities for regional and public engagement as well as consultation with neighbouring First Nations, she added.

"As the minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, I remain firmly committed to taking this path alongside the Kitselas people," Boyle said.

In February, the neighbouring Gitxaała Nation wrote a letter to the lead federal and provincial treaty negotiators, expressing disappointment that the Kitselas had set a date for ratification without first reaching a protocol agreement
with Gitxaała.

It said a protocol agreement is required because the Kitselas treaty would "adversely affect Gitxaała Aboriginal title and rights."