B.C. First Nations sign Columbia River Treaty revenue-sharing agreements with province | 24CA News
Three First Nations in B.C.’s Interior will now financially profit from the Columbia River Treaty, the province introduced on Thursday.
The Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation says by means of three separate agreements, the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan nations will every obtain 5 per cent of income generated by means of the sale of downstream energy advantages.
The ministry says the proposed interim revenue-sharing agreements will final for 4 years.
“This interim agreement is significant for us,” mentioned Kathryn Teneese, chair of the Ktunaxa Nation council.
“It’s an acknowledgment of impacts to Ktunaxa rights and title, and is one step on the path of reconciliation.”
According to the province, the treaty was ratified in 1964 by the U.S. and Canada to supply flood management and generate further hydro energy, however was negotiated with out contemplating the impacts it will have on the rights, tradition, economies and methods of lifetime of Indigenous nations.
The province additionally mentioned the treaty’s dams and reservoirs flooded 110,000 hectares (270,000 acres) of Canadian ecosystems, displaced greater than 2,000 residents, in addition to First Nations, communities and infrastructure, and affected farms, tourism and forestry actions.
“When the Columbia River Treaty was developed, governments didn’t consult or co-operate with First Nations or any Columbia Basin residents — the very people whose lives, livelihoods and cultures would be affected for decades,” mentioned Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Columbia River Treaty.
“Since 2018, Indigenous Nations with territory in the Columbia Basin have worked closely with Canada and B.C. to negotiate a modernized treaty with the U.S.; today, they are at last sharing in the benefits the treaty brings.”
The province added that the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan nations have been an important a part of the Canadian negotiating workforce, alongside the governments of Canada and B.C.
Teneese mentioned “Ktunaxa perspectives are vital to this treaty process, and we value being at the table with the other Indigenous Nations, along with British Columbia and Canada.”
Clarence Louie, chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band, known as the revenue-sharing settlement with the Okanagan Nation an “historic first step for our government-to-government relationship.”
“For far too long, we have been excluded from decisions that directly impact the Syilx Nation,” mentioned Louie.
“These previous decisions lacked any form of consent and often left us with only devastating impacts. With this announcement, the provincial government has demonstrated a level of integrity to finally do the right thing.”
Louie additionally mentioned, “alongside our First Nation neighbours in the Columbia River watershed — the Secwépemc Nation and Ktunaxa Nation — we are beginning a long journey of righting the historical wrongs of the past injustices with the Crown on decision-making, revenue sharing, ecosystems and Indigenous cultural values.”
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