British Columbia put forward legislation this week to formalize a treaty with a First Nation on Vancouver Island some three decades after negotiations began.
The treaty would affirm the K’omoks First Nation’s ownership of approximately 3,442 hectares of land distributed across Vancouver Island, with an option to buy an additional 1,592 hectares from the province in the future. All land included in the treaty is currently owned by either the First Nation or the provincial government.
The K’ómoks Treaty Act, also known as Bill 20, was introduced in the legislature on April 14 by Indigenous Relations Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert. The agreement seeks to replace the band administration format mandated by the Indian Act with self-governing authority for the 350-member First Nation….