Joint Statement: between Wei Wai Kum First Nation, and the Nine Allied Tribes and Lax Kw’alaams Band

Press Release

April 15, 2026

Current Government of British Columbia’s Proposed K’ómoks and Kitselas First Nations Treaty Bills that Fail Reconciliation Commitments, Legal Obligations, and Threaten Economic Certainty and Public Interest

Wei Wai Kum First Nation, Nine Allied Tribes, and Lax Kw’alaams Band (together the “Impacted Indigenous Nations”) stand strong together to call the current Government of British Columbia to immediately pause the K’ómoks treaty bill tabled in the legislature, and proposed Kitselas treaty bill, until the following are fulfilled:

1. Upholding the Crown commitment to reconciliation and recognizing Indigenous laws and governance systems;

1. Protecting economic certainty, private land interests and public interests;

1. Ensuring meaningful consultation and accommodation, including avoidance and mitigation measures built into the treaties;
2. Supporting the resolution of inter-nation issues with integrity;
3. advancing reconciliation in a manner that is lawful, principled and sustainable; and
4. Ensuring proper legislative process.

Support for Treaty and Self-Government for all First Nations:

We support modern treaties and the inherent right of all First Nations to self-government and self-determination within their territory. However, treaties must be implemented in a manner that reflects Indigenous Law, respects neighboring Nations, and upholds the honour of the Crown.

Advancing treaty legislation in the face of unresolved territorial and governance issues between Nations risks undermining reconciliation and creating long-term conflict and uncertainty

The Impacted Indigenous Nations have remained clear: we support and want to celebrate all First Nations in asserting their right to self-government through treat within their territory. However, the current Government of British Columbia appear to favour short-sighted proposed treaty bills that undermine:

⦁ Premier Eby’s reconciliation commitments;
⦁ legal obligations;
⦁ Indigenous Law;

⦁ economic certainty; and

⦁ public interests.

The lack of meaningful consultation puts regional economies and private lands at risks if our Nations affected by overly broad and unsupported territorial claims by neighbours in Treaty are forced to go to court.

Major Unresolved Issues Relating to Aboriginal Rights, Title and Territories

Both the Kitselas and K’ómoks Treaties violate Indigenous Law and claim territory in an overly broad manner and with little or no legal or historical foundation. Both treaties take overly ambitious claim areas and turn them into Treaty rights. Up to this point, provincial negotiators have refused to engage in meaningful consultation and have refused to require amendments to these Treaties to adjust boundaries, require protocols in overlap areas (as was done in the Tla’amin Treaty), or include other mitigation measures.

Risks to Economic Certainty, Public Lands, and the Public Interest

The Impacted Indigenous Nation are located in important economic regions with essential forestry, fishery, energy, and other key British Columbia commodity and trade interests, critical to the British Columbia and Canadian economies.

The Impacted Indigenous Nations are compelled to inform British Columbians, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and Canadians that the proposed K’ómoks and Kitselas treaty bills put the economy and land and resource interests at risk if the lack of meaningful consultation and persistent refusal to incorporate mitigation measures drives impacted First Nations to court.

By aggressively advancing these proposed treaty bills, and refusing meaningful consultation and accommodation, the current Government of British Columbia appears to be disregarding economic certainty and private land interests, which threatens the public interest. It is no answer to state that ‘there is still time’ because Canada has not yet ratified. Once B.C. ratifies, it is very unlikely any amendments to these treaties will be possible.

Legal Duty to Consult and Accommodate:

The Impacted Indigenous Nations call upon the current Government of British Columbia to complete their duty to meaningfully consult, which has not been fulfilled, and accommodate in relation to these treaty proposal impacts. This includes giving full consideration to Indigenous Law, sharing full information about strength of claim assessments and impact analysis, and negotiating avoidance, mitigation and accommodation measures that match the significant impacts and infringements.

Legislative Requirements:

The Impacted Indigenous Nations call upon every Member of the Legislative Assembly to follow proper legislative procedure required for these treaty bills leading to royal assent. Under Standing Orders, we call upon all Members to require and command the highest standards for the each treaty bill stage to uphold and protect economic certainty, private land owners, the public interest, and the Government of British Columbia legal duties and obligations. This includes reforming and Legislative Aboriginal Affairs Committee and ensuring that both treaty bills are fully reviewed by this Committee.

Call to Action:

The Impacted Indigenous Nations are compelled to call upon every Member of the Legislative Assembly to vote against the treaty bills until economic certainty, private land owners, the public interest respecting the bills are secured; and until the Government of British Columbia’s legal duties and obligations are fulfilled to project against extensive liability at the cost of British Columbians.

-On behalf of Wei Wai Kum First Nation and the Nine Allied Tribes and Lax Kw’alaams Band

ILR4