Treaty Milestones: the 'Namgis Track Record

Mid 1990's
to
March 1997

'Namgis leadership - in consultation with the community - did preliminary work to prepare to file a Statement of Intent with the British Columbia Treaty Commission.

April, 1997

Stage 1 of treaty process complete

'Namgis First Nation filed its Statement of Intent with the British Columbia Treaty Commission.

April 1997
to
May 1998

'Namgis First Nation prepared for an initial meeting with Treaty Commission and spent a year putting in place the capacity to begin negotiations.

May, 1998

Stage 2 of treaty process complete

'Namgis First Nation met with the Treaty Commission and with Canada and British Columbia at a special meeting to confirm that all three parties ('Namgis and the two governments) had the capacity in place to actually begin the enormous task of treaty negotiations. Treaty Commission formally declared 'Namgis negotiations ready to begin.

May 1998
to
March 2000

Stage 3 of treaty process complete

Work began on negotiating a Framework Agreement between 'Namgis First Nation, Canada and BC in May 1998. The framework - which provided a "table of contents" for the Agreement in Principle stage of negotiations - was completed and signed almost two years later, in March 2000.

March 2000
to
2008

Stage 4 of treaty process almost complete

The 'Namgis First Nation is currently in the "home stretch" of negotiating an Agreement in Principle (AIP) with Canada and BC.

During AIP negotiations the three parties examine in detail everything in their Stage 3 Framework Agreement. The goal is to reach agreement on each of the topics that will form the basis of the treaty. The band leadership and the negotiating team will turn to the 'Namgis membership for approval when this AIP is complete.

Future

Stage 5 - after Agreement in Principle is approved

Stage 5 is the negotiation of a Final Treaty based on the Agreement in Principle. The 'Namgis First Nation will not begin negotiating a final treaty until an AIP has been completed and approved by the community. A final treaty will probably take two to three years to negotiate - and must be approved by a majority of band members before it can be implemented.

Future

Stage 6 - after Final Agreement is approved

The final stage of the treaty process is Implementation. With time, all aspects of the treaty will be become reality and change the relationship of the 'Namgis people to the land, the economy, the culture, the community and the governments in Victoria and Ottawa.

'Namgis Band leadership is hopeful that implementation can begin at the end of this decade or in the first year of the next decade – 2010.