K'ómoks First Nation
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. Affiliated with the ten-member Kwakiutl District Council (KDC) tribal council. All but two of the other nine member bands are in the treaty process either independently or as part of a treaty group.
Location :
In the Comox Valley, on the east coast of Vancouver Island, approximately 200 km north of Victoria. Main community is on Comox Indian Reserve #1. (Four reserves of 280.7 hectares.)
Number of Band Members: 277 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and
Residence December 31, 2010 [last available data], Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)
Negotiations
K’ómoks First Nation is stage 5 of the six-stage process, negotiating to finalize a treaty.
K’ómoks withdrew from the Hamatla Treaty Society (HTS) in October 2006 to pursue treaty negotiations independently. In February 2007, the BC Treaty Commission accepted the separate Statement of Intent submitted by the K’ómoks.
In February 2011, K’ómoks First Nations and the governments of British Columbia and Canada initialled an agreement-in-principle. K’ómoks membership voted to accept the AIP in a referendum held on March 26, 2011.
On March 24 2012, a ceremony was held in Comox where the AIP was officially signed by the three parties.
Agreements
Other Activities
Forestry
In October 2005, K’omoks First Nation signed a $685,000 forest and range agreement with the province that gave the band access to as much as 41,050 cubic metres of timber over five years through two woodlots of up to 1,180 hectares.
In March 2011, K’omoks First Nation signed a Forest Consultation and Revenue Sharing Agreement with the province. FCRSAs provide First Nation communities with economic benefits returning directly to their community based on harvest activities in their traditional territory. The changes to the revenue sharing model will reflect what is happening ‘on the ground’ in First Nations communities so that for the first time, communities will see more direct economic benefits returning from harvest activities taking place in their traditional territory.
Land Use Planning
K'ómoks First Nation is part of the eight-member Nanwakolas First Nations Clearinghouse Pilot Project. Launched in 2007 with provincial government funding, the clearinghouse pilot project began the process of streamlining First Nations consultation within Nanwakolas territories. Prior to this, each separate provincial agency had to consult directly with individual Nanwakolas communities, which contributed to delays.
In December 2009, K'ómoks was one of six participating Nanwakolas First Nations that signed a new strategic engagement agreement (SEA) which formalizes a single window for referrals on natural resource applications within their asserted traditional territories. Feedback on the referrals will be collected, consolidated and provided to provincial resource ministries following set timelines. As part of the agreement $2.25 million is being provided over three years for capacity-building and implementation of the new referral system. The funding will also support development of a Nanwakolas strategic forum to ensure collaborative execution of the agreement between the Province and participating First Nations.
Planned Meetings
As dates for public meetings are confirmed, they will be publicized through local media and posted on the B.C. Treaty Commission website Negotiations Calendar. |
Final Agreements
Principle
