1940 Aerial View of Campbell River
Our Treaty
The Six Stages
The BC Treaty Commission’s Treaty negotiation process consists of six stages.
Wei Wai Kum is currently in Stage 5 – Negotiation to Finalize a Treaty
Stage 5 is an essential step for our Nation. This provides Wei Wai Kum with opportunities to negotiate substantive topics, such as a land package, fishing rights and access, and our Nations’ financial relationship with Canada. Once these negotiations are complete, our citizens will vote on the full treaty package.
1993
Stage
1
1997
Stage
2
1998
Stage
3
1998-2015
Stage
4
2019
Stage
5
?
Stage
6
Stage 1
1993
Statement of Intent to Negotiate - 1993
Stage 2
1997
Readiness to Negotiate - 1997
Stage 3
1998
Negotiation of a Framework Agreement - 1998
Stage 4
1998-2015
Negotiation of an Agreement in Principle - 1998–2015
In 2014, treaty society membership changed. Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah formed the Wei Wai Kum Kwiakah Treaty Society and negotiate as two Nations.
Stage 5
2019
Negotiation to Finalize a Treaty [Current Stage] - 2019
Stage 6
Implementation of the Treaty
Statement of Intent: Map
Wei Wai Kum’s territory has been connected to its people since time immemorial. Wei Wai Kum has the right to exercise Aboriginal rights in its territory.
This territory is primarily shared with fellow Ligʷiłdaxʷ Nations, We Wai Kai and Kwiakah.
As part of the BC Treaty Process, Wei Wai Kum First Nation has established a shared Statement of Intent (SOI) boundary. Within this SOI boundary, the Nation is developing land selections for Treaty Lands and private land purchases.
Treaty Projects
Treaty Related Measures (TRMs) are interim measures related to treaty topics under negotiation.
TRMs were designed to help meet the needs of and address First Nations’ concerns during ongoing treaty negotiations. TRM projects are funded by the Canadian government.
Over the years, Wei Wai Kum has participated in several TRM projects, as listed below.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Negotiation
The Treaty Team meets monthly for Internal Treaty Meetings which inform the tripartite Main Table Meetings with Wei Wai Kum, BC, and Canada. At these Main Table meetings, discussions revolve around the Nation’s priorities. At the Main Table, the Team speaks to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Provincial decision-makers to ensure they hear negotiation positions and concerns directly. Treaty negotiations remain an iterative process, supported through various working groups and informed through community engagement sessions.
Treaty
Five Nation Fish Common Table
Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, Kwiakah, Tlowitsis, K’omoks
The Five A- Tlegay Nations have joined together to negotiate a Fish Reconciliation Agreement with Canada. All Nations are participating in treaty negotiations and the results of this agreement will be referenced in a Treaty Agreement. We are using what other nation groups such as the Coastal First Nations have negotiated as a guideline to the benefits we hope to achieve in this process. The areas under negotiation are access to commercial licenses and aquaculture; management and conservation of fish stocks and governance over the resource.
February 10 2021 – The Chiefs of the A-Tlegay Member Nations (We Wai Kai Nation, Wei Wai Kum First Nation, Kwiakah First Nation, Tlowitsis Nation, and K’ómoks First Nation) and Canada, announced the signing of the “Reconciliation Framework Agreement for Fisheries Resources.” The Framework Agreement forms a common fisheries negotiation table between the Government of Canada and the A-Tlegay Member Nations (AMN). Through this agreement the parties are building a process that advances reconciliation in respect of fisheries resources. The goal is to expand the Nations’ access to the commercial industry, including aquaculture, develop community fisheries, and create a mechanism for collaborative governance of fisheries resources.
Why Treaty?
Through a comprehensive treaty, we will move beyond the limitations of the Indian Act and open the door to greater opportunities for our people — both those living in our territory and those who call other places home.
A Treaty will mean increased opportunities and ownership, stronger services, more control over our future, and improved access to education — empowering our Nation and future generations to thrive.
Self-governance will replace the Indian Act and provide better opportunities for Indigenous people living within their territory while not excluding those who choose to live elsewhere.
A Treaty will bring increased opportunities and ownership, improved services and control over our future and education.
Why a Self-Government Agreement (SGA)
An SGA would significantly increase funding for governance — about 4 to 8 times more than current band support funding — enabling us to hire and train more staff and strengthen programs in areas like education, health, and culture. We wouldn’t lose programs or jobs; instead, we’d gain the capacity to deliver more services and, when ready, take on additional areas like child and family services.
The agreement would also return key land parcels for community growth and economic development, open doors for stronger government-to-government relationships, and support collaborative governance on priority issues. We would continue exercising our s. 35 rights and could gradually expand our jurisdiction through sectoral agreements as our capacity grows.
Incremental Treaty Agreements
An ITA is a legally-binding pre-treaty agreement negotiated under the B.C. Treaty Process, between British Columbia and Wei Wai Kum. ITAs are a treaty incentive to enable Nations to achieve economic benefits while negotiating a treaty agreement. Any lands acquired through an ITA remain under the Nation’s ownership regardless if a treaty is ever reached. It creates a significant, positive milestone of negotiations that assist the Nation in building capacity and resources.
Wei Wai Kum's
ITA
On August 11, 2022, Wei Wai Kum finalized an ITA for a near 2300 hectare land transfer in the Campbell Lake region. Lands transferred under the ITA will help increase Wei Wai Kum’s participation in the forestry industry for economic purposes and give its citizens access to lands for cultural and harvesting activities.
Surveying and Transferring the ITA Lands
Tyson Quocksister, a member of Wei Wai Kum, oversaw the surveying of the ITA Parcels in collaboration with McElhanney Engineering. The Parcels have now successfully transfered to the nation.
Wei Wai Kum ITA Land
Treaty Negotiations
Negotiating a modern treaty takes time, political will, and determination from all governments involved — Wei Wai Kum, BC, and Canada. Thanks to years of dedicated effort, significant progress has been made, and Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah are now in Stage 5 of the BC Treaty Process.
On June 28, 2019, Wei Wai Kum and the governments of Canada and British Columbia signed a Stage 5 Agreement to advance reconciliation and move treaty negotiations into their final stage. This agreement provides a clear framework for completing the treaty and developing a new government-to-government relationship that recognizes and affirms Wei Wai Kum’s inherent rights.
Treaty Advancements – Loan Forgiveness
In March 2019, Canada announced that all loans occurred by Nations since the beginning of treaty negotiations will be forgiven and paid off by Canada. This was a huge step for the treaty negotiations process. Currently, Wei Wai Kum don’t have any outstanding loans and will not incur any additional debt through the treaty process.
Treaty Lands
Treaty Lands
Treaty Lands are lands that will be returned to our Nations after the treaty effective date. Treaty lands are important to our Nations because we will have full jurisdiction and law-making authority. Identifying potential Treaty Lands for negotiations is an important step. Land is selected based on various traditional, cultural, economic, community development and recreational opportunities and values.
Treaty Lands will include:
- Current reserve lands
- Lands we negotiate through treaty
- Incremental Treaty Agreement lands
Treaty Agreement – Under Development
This is Stage 6 of the Treaty Process and the final objective of the Treaty Society. Nations that have concluded a Final Treaty Agreement in BC include Tsawwassen, Maa-nulth, and Tla’amin. The Treaty Team, provincial and federal Negotiators, consider the lessons learned and opportunities realized in these modern treaties. Leadership and Advisors continue to assert the Treaty Society’s position based on the interests and aspirations of the Wei Wai Kum. The principle we’re operating on is that treaty has to be better than what we would otherwise achieve. It has to be about raising the bar.
The Treaty Journey So Far
Treaty is one tool amongst many that the Wei Wai Kum use or consider when advancing our interests. Land Code, Taxation, Consultation and Specific Claims are additional tools working alongside treaty negotiations to assert self-governance and rights jurisdiction.