Cheslatta Carrier Nation

Background
Negotiations
Other Activities
Planned Meetings

Background

Negotiating status

: Negotiating a comprehensive treaty settlement within the British Columbia Treaty Commission six-stage treaty process.

Negotiating affiliation

: Negotiating independently with Canada and British Columbia. Not affiliated with a tribal council or treaty group, but previously affiliated with the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.

Location

: Southbank, on south shore of Francois Lake, 23 km south of Burns Lake. (Eight reserves on 1,402.8 hectares. All reserves at least 5km apart.)

Number of Band Members: 304 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Negotiations

The Cheslatta Carrier Nation entered the treaty process in July 1995. Negotiations have remained in Stage 3 of the six-stage process, negotiation of a framework agreement, since April 1997, when the parties last met.

The Cheslatta submitted a specific claim with the government of Canada in 1984 to reclaim some of the land flooded by the Kenney Dam. The claim was settled in 1993 with future additions to the reserve to come from lands made available by Alcan Inc.

Other Activities

In recent years, the Cheslatta Carrier Nation has been pursuing economic opportunities, particularly in the forest industry. Beginning in 1996, the band was awarded salvage rights to trees submerged by the Kemano power project, which created the Nechako Reservoir. Further to this, in 2001, Cheslatta Forest Products Ltd. - a three-way joint venture partnership between the Cheslatta Carrier (Nootsenay Enterprises Ltd.), a group of local aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents (Oosta Resources Ltd.) and Carrier Forest Products Ltd. - opened a $7.5 million saw mill at Ootsa Lake, employing about 60 people, to process the underwater salvage timber as well as timber killed by the mountain pine beetle.

In July 2002, the province signed a community forest pilot agreement with the Cheslatta Carrier Nation covering 25,000 hectares around Cheslatta Lake, with the wood to be processed at the new mill.

In November of 2004, the province awarded the Cheslatta Carrier a forest tenure agreement that gives the First Nation over $700,000 in revenue sharing and 125,000 cubic metres of submerged timber over five years.

Earlier, in September 2004, the government, First Nations and local industry officially opened the upgraded 21.5-kilometre-long Keefe's Landing Road south of Francois Lake. Over $5.6 million in provincial funding was spent to convert the road from a seasonal gravel surface to a paved surface for year-round use. The road upgrade accommodates the sawmill operations and other economic activities by allowing additional heavy traffic volumes and eliminating spring load restrictions. The Cheslatta Carrier Nation, along with the Skin Tyee Band and Nee Tahi Buhn Band, were involved in the project in partnership with the forest industry and government. Cheslatta has also had access to funding resources through the Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society for other economic initiatives.

Planned Meetings

As dates are established for open public meetings, they will be publicized through the local media and on the British Columbia Treaty Commission Website Negotiations Calendar.