K'ómoks First 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. 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: 279 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada – last available data as of July 2008)

Negotiations

K’omoks First Nation is stage 4 of the six-stage process, negotiating an agreement in principle.

K’omoks 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’omoks.

HTS entered the treaty process in February 1997 with five First Nations. In 2005, the Tlowitsis First Nation withdrew and is now negotiating independently within the BCTC process. As a result, there are now three First Nations remaining in the HTS – Campbell River Indian Band , Cape Mudge Indian Band and Kwiakah First Nation.

Other Activities

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 May 2007, the Province contributed $225,000 to the Nanwakolas Council to create a pilot project to streamline First Nations referrals and consultation related to natural resource applications in their territories. The Nanwakolas Council represents members from six First Nations, including K’ómoks, which have come together on a regional basis to participate collectively on various land and resource management and planning issues, including participating in development and implementation of the Coast Land Use Decision.

In February 2008, K’ómoks First Nation initialled a Shared Territory Protocol Agreement with Sliammon First Nation that outlines provisions for addressing potential overlap issues.

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.