Tahltan Nation, B.C. government sign agreement for shared decision-making
The Tahltan Nation and the British Columbia government have struck what officials say is a historic agreement for shared decision-making for the nation's territory in northwestern B.C., a hot spot for mineral exploration.
Murray Rankin, the Indigenous relations and reconciliation minister, says the agreement represents a significant step forward in building a government-to-government relationship and supporting the Tahltan in regaining its sovereignty.
Chad Norman Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government, says the deal shows they are “getting closer and closer to a true nation-to-nation relationship.”
The province is providing $20 million to support the implementation of the agreement, which commits B.C. and the nation to developing a land-use plan and to testing new permitting processes for mineral exploration and placer mining.
It also commits accelerating negotiations for an “economic-oriented” reconciliation agreement and to seek federal participation in those discussions.
Day told a news conference that Tahltan territory encompasses 11 per cent of B.C.'s land base and the new agreement will help ensure certain sensitive areas aren't open for development, while providing greater certainty for industry.
“We have a lot of claims around some of our communities, some of our burial sites, and I think that we've been grappling with those for years because we didn't have the relationship and the structure that we're going to have through the (Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act) and through agreements like this.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.