Treaty 8 First Nations Council Geographic Location View Regional Map

Treaty 8 First Nations

Member Bands

Blueberry River First Nations
Location
: Main community is on Blueberry River Indian Reserve #205, approximately 80 km northwest of Fort St. John. (Two reserves on 1,505.8 hectares.) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 404 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Doig River First Nation
Location
: The main community is located on Doig River Indian Reserve #206, approximately 30 km northeast of Fort St. John. (Two reserves on 1358.1 hectares) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 252 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Fort Nelson First Nation
Location
: The main community is located on Fort Nelson Indian Reserve #2, approximately 6 km southwest of Fort Nelson. (Five reserves on 9,752.6hectares) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 774 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Halfway River First Nation
Location
: The community consists of two subdivisions approximately 100 km northwest of Fort St. John on the Halfway River. (One reserve on 3,988.8 hectares) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 227 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Prophet River First Nation
Location
: The community, Prophet River No. 4, is located approximately 100 km south of Fort Nelson on Highway #97. (One reserve; 373.9 hectares) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 225 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

McLeod TseK'hene First Nation

Location
: At McLeod Lake, 140 km north of Prince George.

Number of Band Members: 464 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Saulteau First Nations

Location
: The community is located at the east end of Moberly Lake about 100 km southwest of Fort St. John on Highway #29. (One reserve on 3,025.8 hectares) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 840 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

West Moberly First Nations

Location
: Located at the west end of Moberly Lake, approximately 90 km southwest of Fort St. John.. (One reserve on 2,033.6 hectares.) (Source: First Nations Profiles, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and British Columbia First Nations websites)

Number of Band Members: 195 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence December 2006, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

 

Background

Negotiating status
: All eight First Nations are signatories to Treaty 8. All bands, with the exception of McLeod Lake / TseK’hene, are in discussions with BC and Canada outside the treaty process. Five of these seven bands are part of the Treaty 8 Tribal Association tribal council. McLeod Lake /TseK'hene are negotiating within the BC Treaty Commission process six-stage treaty process.

Negotiating affiliation
: Treaty 8 First Nations are located in northeastern British Columbia from Fort Nelson in the north to McLeod Lake in the south.

Location
: 3,286 - all Treaty 8 First Nations; 1,894 - Treaty 8 Tribal Association (Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River, and Saulteau)
(Source: Registered Population as of October 2005, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Discussions

Treaty 8 was originally a treaty settlement negotiated between the Government of Canada and First Nations in northern Alberta, northwest Saskatchewan and the southern Northwest Territories. In 1899, the treaty was extended into British Columbia to include eight First Nations bands in the northeast corner of the province.

Six Treaty 8 First Nations - Doig River, Fort Nelson, Halfway River, Prophet River Saulteau and West Moberly - are members of the Treaty 8 First Nations Chiefs, which are negotiating set aside issues at a common negotiations table. Blueberry River is negotiating set aside issues separately from the Treaty 8 First Nations Chiefs.

These are issues that were set aside when BC and Treaty 8 First Nations signed a memorandum of understanding in 1998 on oil and gas development and the protection of treaty and Aboriginal rights. In addition to these "set aside" issues, BC and the Treaty 8 First Nations are currently negotiating revenue-sharing arrangements. Blueberry River First Nations and BC are negotiating a separate revenue sharing arrangement. McLeod Lake / TseK'hene First Nation signed an adhesion agreement to the original Treaty 8 settlement in March 2000 and is not involved in the "set aside" negotiations. McLeod Lake / TseK'hene has entered the BC treaty process and has completed Stage 2 of the six-stage process (see McLeod Lake / TseK'hene First Nation for more information on these negotiations.

In addition, Canada has accepted the Treaty Land Entitlement claim of the Halfway River and West Moberly First Nations and the Blueberry River and Doig River First Nations respecting alleged shortfall in their original Treaty 8 land entitlement. Canada subsequently sought the involvement of B.C. in the negotiations to resolve the claims. B.C. agreed to participate in February 2003.

In 2003, the province and the chiefs of Treaty 8 First Nations signed seven agreements worth $1.9 million to create economic opportunities in the oil and gas industry in northeastern BC.

BC Government negotiations staff undertake discussions with First Nations outside the treaty process on a wide range of topics related to the resolution of the land question. Discussions are informal so the level of interaction varies according to specific situations and needs. Initiatives can involve building relationships with First Nations, and addressing concerns associated with asserted traditional territory.