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: 429 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, 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: 265 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, 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: 791 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, 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: 243 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

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

Number of Band Members: 469 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence January 2008 [last available data], 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: 238 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, 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: 860 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence January 2008 [last available data], 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: 208 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2009, 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, are in discussions with BC and Canada outside the treaty process. Five of these seven bands (Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River and Saulteau) are part of the Treaty 8 Tribal Association tribal council. The other two bands (Fort Nelson and West Moberly) are unaffiliated, although non-tribal council member West Moberly is a member the T8TA political body, which is registered under the B.C. Societies Act.

McLeod Lake Indian Band, which did not originally adhere to Treaty 8, signed onto the treaty in 2000. It is now negotiating a self-government agreement independently within the BC Treaty Commission six-stage treaty process.

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

Total band memebers
: 3,503 - all Treaty 8 First Nations; 2,035 - 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)

Treaty 8

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.

Canada has accepted the treaty land entitlement claims of the Halfway River and West Moberly First Nations and the Blueberry River and Doig River First Nations respecting alleged shortfalls in their original Treaty 8 land entitlements. Canada subsequently sought the involvement of B.C. in the negotiations to resolve the claims. B.C. agreed to participate.

Economic Benefits and Resource Management Agreements

In October 2008, the Province and Blueberry River First Nations signed a Final Agreement which united an Economic Benefits Agreement (EBA) and seven Resource Management Agreements which were signed earlier. The EBA provided Blueberry with a share of the economic benefits from resource development within their traditional territory and a solid foundation for increased participation in the regional economy. Resource Management Agreements provide a critical First Nations voice in land and resource decision-making. Uniting these agreements secures collaborative management processes and relationships between B.C., the First Nation, provincial departments, and other public stakeholders under one agreement.

In September 2008, chiefs of four other Treaty 8 First Nations (Doig River, Fort Nelson, Prophet River and West Moberly) also signed an EBA with the Province that provides the First Nations with a share of financial benefits from natural resource development to their communities and enhances land-use collaboration.

The Blueberry River First Nations and Treaty 8 agreements each cover a 15-year term.

Oil & Gas Consultation Agreements

In December 2005, Blueberry First Nations and the Province initialled a new Oil and Gas Consultation Agreement to improve the existing consultation processes with the oil and gas industry, and BRFN and B.C. Oil & Gas Commission engagement.

In December 2006, the Council of Treaty 8 Chiefs (Fort Nelson First Nation, Prophet River First Nation, Doig River First Nation, Halfway River First Nation, West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations) signed renewed Consultation Process Agreements which will increase clarity in the consultation process by more clearly defining timelines, creating guidelines, and establishing regular meetings and workshops.