Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Geographic Location View Regional Map

Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council

Member Bands

Ahousaht
Location
: On the west coast of Vancouver Island. Main community is in Ahousaht, on Marktosis Indian Reserve #15, on Flores Island, 18 km northwest of Tofino. (25 reserves on 591.7 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 1,808 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Ehattesaht First Nation
 

Location
: On the west coast of central Vancouver Island, approximately 70 km west of Gold River. (Nine reserves on 136.1 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 306 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Hesquiaht First Nation
Location
: On the west coast of central Vancouver Island. Main community is on Refuge Cove Indian Reserve #6, informally known as Hotsprings Cove, 35 km northwest of Tofino. (Six reserves on 320.5 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 666 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Mowachaht/Muchalaht
Location
: Main community is on Ahaminaquus Indian Reserve #12, at the mouth of Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. (17 reserves on 263.3 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 526 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Nuchatlaht First Nation

Location
: On the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Main community is on Oclucje Indian Reserve #7, at the head of Espinosa Inlet. (11 reserves on 92.2 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 168 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations (formerly Clayoquot)

Location
: On the west coast of central Vancouver Island. Main communities are between Pacific Rim National Park and Tofino and on Meares Island. (10 reserves on 230.7 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 901 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Tseshaht

Location
: Near Port Alberni, on central Vancouver Island. Main community is on Tsehaheh Indian Reserve #1, on the Somass River, 5 km northwest of Port Alberni. (Eight reserves on 584.4 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 942 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Background

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

Negotiating affiliation
: Negotiating with Canada and British Columbia on behalf of seven of its 14 member bands: the Ahousaht, Ehatteshaht First Nation, Hesquiaht First Nation, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Nuchatlaht First Nation, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations and Tseshaht. Another five member bands are negotiating with Canada and British Columbia as part of the Maa-nulth First Nations treaty group: the Huu-ay-aht, Ka:'yu:'t'h'/Chek:k'tles7et'h', Toquaht, Uchucklesaht and Ucluelet First Nations. The Ditidaht First Nation is negotiating with non-NTC member, the Pacheedaht First Nation, at a common treaty table. The Hupacasath First Nation is negotiating independently.

Location
: Member bands are located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and as far inland as Port Alberni.

Total band members
: 8,074 total members in 14 NTC bands (5,159 total members of seven bands in NTC treaty group) (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence 2005, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Negotiations

The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, representing 13 of its 14 member bands, entered the treaty process in January 1994 at a common treaty table. The Hupacasath First Nation withdrew from the NTC treaty table in early 2000 to negotiate independently, reducing the number of First Nations to 12. The other NTC member band, the Ditidaht First Nation, is negotiating at a common treaty table with the Pacheedaht First Nation. While the Pacheedaht is a Nuu-chah-nulth speaking First Nation, it has never been a member of the NTC.

Chief negotiators for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, British Columbia and Canada initialled an agreement in principle on March 10, 2001.

Each of the 12 participating bands undertook a community consultation and approval process. Six bands, representing approximately two-thirds of the total population, rejected the agreement in principle, and six approved. The parties therefore did not sign the agreement in principle.

Five of the six First Nations that approved the AIP joined to form the Maa-nulth First Nations. The Maa-nulth First Nations approached British Columbia and Canada about negotiating a Final Agreement based on the draft 2001 Nuu-chah-nulth AIP, which ultimately led to the negotiation of the Maa-nulth AIP. For detailed information on the Maa-nulth First Nations negotiations see: http://www.gov.bc.ca/arr/firstnation/maa_nulth/default.html#negotiations

The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council is in Stage 4 of the six-stage process, negotiating an agreement in principle on behalf of seven of its First Nations: the Ahousaht, Ehatteshaht First Nation, Hesquiaht First Nation, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Nuchatlaht First Nation, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations and Tseshaht. Negotiations are progressing slowly.

Other activities

In June 2003, some of the Nuu-cha-nulth Tribal Council First Nations commenced a fisheries litigation against BC and Canada. These NTC bands are seeking declarations that they hold Aboriginal title to their identified fishing territories and have the rights to a commercial fishery. BC is continuing to negotiate with NTC on topics not related to the litigation.

Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Ucluelet and Toquaht First Nations are signatories to the Clayoquot Sound Interim Measures Extension Agreement (IMEA) which established the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board (CRB) in March 1994. The CRB is a joint BC/First Nations decision-making body which oversees land use planning and resource management decisions in Clayoquot Sound. The agreement was renewed on March 31, 2008.

 

Planned Meetings

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