Winalagalis Treaty Group

NOTE: The Winalagalis Treaty Group (1997 to 2010) was a group of six First Nations on northern Vancouver Island and surrounding area collectively negotiating individual treaties. Two of the six nations withdrew from the WTG. In 2003/2004, the Kwakiutl suspended treaty negotiations to pursue issues surrounding the Kwakiutl Douglas Treaty, and in March 2005 'Namgis withdrew to negotiate separately from the group. Since 2004/2005, the WTG has been comprised of the Da’naxda’xw, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, Quatsino and Tlatlasikwala First Nations. The four First Nations no longer feel the organization is needed and are now negotiating independently in the B.C Treaty Commission process.

Winalagalis Treaty Group Geographic Location View Regional Map

Member Bands

Da'naxda'xw First Nation
Location
: Rebuilding a community at Knight's Inlet on B.C.'s central coast, approximately 270 km northwest of Vancouver. (Seven reserves on 317.9 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 193 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence January 2010 [last available data], Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Gwa'Sala-Nakwaxda'xw Nation
Location
: Main community is on Tsulquate Indian Reserve #4, near Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. (26 reserves on 794.1 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 868 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence May 2010, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Quatsino First Nation

Location
: Main community located 5 km from Coal Harbour on Quatsino Sound, on the north end of Vancouver Island, approximately 400 km northwest of Vancouver. (19 reserves on 346.2 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 463 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence January 2010 [last available data], Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Tlatlasikwala Band (formerly Nuwitti)

Location
: Some members live at Whe-la-la-u, a federal Crown village site set aside for the aboriginal people of B.C., near Alert Bay (on Cormorant Island in the Johnstone Strait, approximately 400 km northwest of Vancouver). (Six reserves on 3,474.4 hectares.)

Number of Band Members: 61 (Source: Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence January 2010 [last available data], Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

Background

Negotiating status
: Each First Nation is negotiating a comprehensive treaty settlement independently in the British Columbia Treaty Commission six-stage treaty process.

Negotiating affiliation
: The four First Nations are no longer affiliated with the WTG and are negotiating independently in the BCTC process.

Negotiations

The Winalagalis Treaty Group (WTG) entered the treaty process in April 1997 as an organization comprised originally of six First Nations.  Participating First Nations collaborated while negotiating their individual treaties.  'Namgis First Nation withdrew in March 2005 to negotiate independently. Another former member band, the Kwakiutl Band Council, is currently not active in negotiations. The four remaining First Nations, each with their own Framework Agreement, no longer felt the organization was needed and, in 2010, agreed to negotiate independently in the B.C Treaty Commission process.

Other activities

Land Use Planning Agreements

In February 2008, as an outcome of the Central and North Coast strategic land-use planning processes, the Province signed strategic land-use planning agreements with 20 coastal First Nations, including all four WTG First Nations.  By March 31, 2009, the Province had met its commitment to establish an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) system for coastal BC.

The Da'naxda'xw First Nation and Gwa'Sala-Nakwaxda'xw Nation are also part of the eight-member Nanwakolas First Nations Clearinghouse Pilot Project. Launched in 2007 with provincial government funding, the clearinghouse pilot project began the process of streamlining provincial consultation with First Nations within Nanwakolas territories. Prior to this, each separate provincial agency had to consult directly with individual Nanwakolas communities concerning land use activities and the demand on staff resources for all parties contributed to delays in land use activity approvals.

In December 2009, the two First Nations were two of six participating Nanwakolas First Nations that signed a new strategic engagement agreement (SEA) that formalizes a single window for referrals on natural resource applications within their asserted traditional territories. Responses on the referrals is collected, consolidated and provided to provincial resource ministries following set timelines.  As part of the agreement $2.25 million is being provided over three years for capacity-building and implementation of the new referral system. The funding will also support development of a Nanwakolas strategic forum to ensure collaborative execution of the agreement between the Province and participating First Nations.

Forestry

In January 2009, the province granted Quatsino First Nation a new 800-hectare woodlot licence and doubled their existing woodlot in the Coal Harbour area. The new woodlot and the expanded woodlot are both part of a May 2008 amendment to the Quatsino Forest and Range Agreement that was signed in July 2004. The new woodlot has an allowable annual cut of 5,100 cubic metres; the existing woodlot has been topped up by 400 hectares and now has an allowable annual cut of 5,550 cubic metres.

In addition to their woodlot licences, the Quatsino hold a timber sale licence with the Kwakuitl and the Tlatlasikwala First Nations.

Planned meetings

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