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Tahltan Nation

Member Bands

Iskut First Nation

Location
: Approximately 500 kilometres north of Terrace. The main community is at Iskut I.R. No.6. (Three reserves on 107.9 hectares).

Number of Band Members: 662 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence 2008 [last available data], Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Tahltan Indian Band

Location
: Approximately 700 kilometres northwest of Terrace. The main community is at Telegraph Creek I.R. No. 6. (11 reserves on 1,338.5 hectares).

Number of Band Members: 1,676 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Background

Participation
: Government representatives are working to build relationships with the Tahltan Indian Band and the Iskut First Nation outside of the British Columbia Treaty Commission process through the Tahltan Central Council (TCC).

Affiliation
: The Tahltan people are comprised of two bands, each with an elected council: the Tahltan Indian Band (with headquarters at Telegraph Creek); and the Iskut First Nation (with headquarters at Iskut). The overarching Tahltan Central Council (with offices at Dease Lake) is comprised of representatives of 10 families from each band. The TCC links the Tahltan bands and has represented them on issues of joint concern, specifically on asserted inherent rights and title. Neither the Tahltan Indian Band nor the Iskut First Nation are affiliated with a tribal council and are recognized as separate, unaffiliated Indian bands by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. However, the TCC is a registered society under the B.C. Society Act.

Total band members
: 2,338 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence 2008-2009, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Negotiations

Provincial treaty negotiators have undertaken discussions with the TCC outside of the treaty process on a wide range of topics since November 2004. Discussions are for the most part informal so the level of interaction varies according to specific situations and needs.

The Province is currently engaged in negotiations with the TCC at a reconciliation table. The work of this table deals with a variety of resource sectors including mining, oil and gas, and land use planning.

In November 2007, the Province and the Tahltan Nation announced a restoration plan to assess and address the impacts of past mineral exploration and development activity within Tahltan asserted territory. The restoration plan is the first major accomplishment of the Tahltan-BC Minerals Working Group, which was established to review operational issues related to mining activities and proposed mining activities in the area that includes the communities of Dease Lake, Telegraph Creek and Iskut. The Minerals Working Group is comprised of representatives of the TCC and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in support of the main B.C./TCC Reconciliation Table.