As it gets set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its historic urban treaty, the Tsawwassen First Nation recently learned it will be getting a reimbursement from the federal government.
The TFN and six other indigenous governments that make up the Alliance of B.C. Modern Treaty Nations found out the government will forgive all outstanding modern treaty negotiation loans as well as reimburse those that are repaying or have already repaid their loans.
The alliance includes the Tla’amin Nation and the five Maa-nulth Nations. The loan forgiveness works out to millions for each member that advocated for reimbursement, saying it was a matter of fairness.
It’s an announcement which came after many years of engagement with the federal government on the issue, said TFN Chief Bryce Williams in a news release.
“It has long been our position that negotiation debts are an unjust financial burden, at odds with the spirit and intent of our modern treaties. The Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement does not just benefit Tsawwassen First Nation. It is a benefit to all Canadians. As such, it never made sense for us to shoulder a debt burden for working to advance a truly equal relationship,” he said.
The Alliance of B.C. Modern Treaty Nations was formed in July 2018 to collaborate on areas of mutual interest related to treaty implementation in B.C.
The TFN notes that while a Canada-wide coalition of modern treaty indigenous governments and organizations (the Land Claims Agreement Coalition) already existed to advocate for improved treaty implementation at the federal level, modern treaty nations in B.C. needed an avenue to collectively engage at the provincial level.
Members of the TFN will hold a day-long celebration, which includes a pole unveiling and blessing ceremony, this Wednesday, April 3, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the treaty.
