Tla'amin Nation (Sliammon First Nation)
Background
Negotiating status: Negotiating a treaty settlement within the British Columbia Treaty Commission six-stage treaty process.
Negotiating affiliation : Negotiating independently with Canada and British Columbia.
Location : Main community is on Sliammon Indian Reserve #1, just north of Powell River. (Six reserves on 1,907.2 hectares.)
Total band members
: 1,009 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence June 2012, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada)
Negotiations
The Tla'amin Nation [Sliammon First Nation] entered the treaty process in May 1994 and is now in Stage 5, negotiating to finalize a treaty.
On October 4, 2003, Tla'amin members voted in favour of ratifying an AIP. After approval from Canada and the B.C. Cabinet, the AIP was signed by the three principles for the parties at a special ceremony at Sliammon on December 6, 2003.
On June 9, 2010, the Tla'amin Nation and the provincial and federal government chief negotiators reached an understanding on the Final Agreement. This represented an interim step prior to the Final Agreement being initialled by all three parties.
On October 21, 2011 in Powell River the Final Agreement was initialled by Canada, British Columbia and Tla'amin Nation.
On July 10, 2012, Tla’amin Nation members voted to approve the final agreement.
The next step in the treaty process is ratification by the British Columbia Legislature and then federal parliament.
The Final Agreement provides for 8,322 hectares of proposed treaty lands, including 6,405 hectares of provincial Crown land and 1,917 hectares of existing reserve land. The offer also includes a capital transfer of $29.7 million over 10 years. Tla'amin Nation will also receive an Economic Development Fund of approximately $6.9 million and a Fishing Vessel Fund of $0.25 million.
The Final Agreement, includes a commitment to negotiate the early transfer of four parcels of land. Three of the parcels have already been transferred with a fourth parcel to be transferred in the coming months. The total area of the three early transfer parcels is approximately 48.54 hectares. The three parcels are:
- Oyster Plant parcel – 0.16 hectares of filled foreshore adjacent to the Sliammon-owned property at the end of Cannery Road on the Okeover Inlet.
- Westview early transfer parcel – Three district lots of approx 48.3 hectares that are part of a much larger parcel of treaty land. These parcels are within the municipal boundary of Powell River and are bordered in the north by Tanner Avenue and Covey Road.
- Wharf Street parcel – is .08 hectares located close to the ferry terminal in Powell River. It is the parking lot at the intersection of Wharf Street and Willingdon Avenue.
Final Agreement Fact Sheets
Agreement-in-Principle
Tla'amin Nation Constitution
In October of 2009, the Tla'amin Nation membership ratified a new constitution in anticipation of a final treaty being completed. The document will be the cornerstone of the relationship between First Nation members and the Tla'amin government, and is part of the treaty implementation process. The Constitution, which is based on the traditional teachings of the Tla'amin Elders, will form the basis for a democratically accountable Sliammon First Nation government and includes a process for enacting laws, a system of financial administration and conflict of interest rules; all components of a final agreement.
Other Activities
Pre-Treaty Funding
In July 2011, the Province approved pre-treaty funding for Tla'amin to restore valuable river habitat. The $100,000 helps the First Nation continue mitigation work on the Theodosia (Toh know-non) River to restore flows and revitalize fish habitat following a landslide in the 1990s.
Forest Consultation and Revenue Sharing Agreements (FCRSAs)
FCRSAs provide First Nation communities with economic benefits returning directly to their community based on harvest activities in their traditional territory. The three-year agreement, signed in July 2011, provides the Tla'amin Nation with approximately $450,000 each year in revenue sharing. It also provides a consultation process for operational decisions related to forestry activities and a commitment from Tla’amin to work with B.C. to increase stability for the forest sector.
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Final Agreements
Principle
