Leaders of the Nisga’a Nation of British Columbia were rejoicing about the signing of the province’s first modern Aboriginal treaty.
“Today we make history as we correct the mistakes of the past and send a signal of hope around the world,” said Nisga’a Nation President Joe Gosnell.
“We are no longer beggars in our own land. We now go ahead with dignity.”
The Nisga’a treaty took 111 years to negotiate. Nisga’a chiefs first traveled to Victoria in 1887 to demand recognition of land titles. In 1973, the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged the existence of Aboriginal rights to land, prompting Ottawa to start talks with the Nisga’a. In 1991, B.C. joined the talks.
The constitutionally-protected treaty, which still has to pass a Nisga’a referendum,gives the Nisga’a 2,000 square kilometres of land near the B.C.-Alaska border(just 10 per cent of what they originally claimed), $260 million over 15 years andself-government powers, including control over resources.
Other First Nations leaders say the deal is a dangerous precedent and don’t like thefact that the Nisga’a Nation now has the right to collect taxes from its people.
