British Columbia Reconciliation Negotiations

Negotiations Key Updates

The tripartite main table negotiations are advancing with quarterly meetings with the Governments of Canada and British Columbia with the basis of negotiations that include the recognition of Aboriginal Rights and Title in British Columbia.
The tripartite negotiations are following and funded by the British Columbia Treaty Commission. The BC Treaty Commission is an Independent Facilitator for Modern Treaty and Tripartite Agreement Negotiations.
The British Columbia Treaty Commission advocates for and facilitates the recognition and protection of First Nations rights and title, through the negotiation of modern treaties and tripartite agreements among the governments of Canada, British Columbia and First Nations in BC. The Treaty Commission is the independent facilitator; it is not a party to the negotiations.
The mandate of the Treaty Commission includes three main roles: facilitating treaty negotiations, including supporting the implementation of the UN Declaration; allocating funding to First Nations for negotiations; and educating the public and providing information about treaty negotiations.
For more information about the Treaty Commission, visit their website at www.bctreaty.ca
Our Nation initially submitted a Statement of Intent to negotiate under the British Columbia Treaty Process in 2000. Progress stalled for years due to the province’s refusal to participate in transboundary negotiations.
In 2018, Premier John Horgan recognized our rights and interests in British Columbia. From 2018 to 2021, discussions occurred between our Nation and the provincial government, resulting in reports documenting our historical, economic, cultural, and social presence in British Columbia.
Since 2019, efforts have focused on finding a path forward amid Treaty 8 assertions. British Columbia and Canada have agreed that a Reconciliation Agreement is the best approach given new negotiation tools available through the Treaty Process.

Negotiations continue, though slower than anticipated. Key advances since receiving Premier Horgan’s letter include:

  (1) Receiving consultation referrals and notices,

  (2) Invitations to the First Nations Leadership Gathering,

  (3) Direct funding from provincial ministries for consultations, and

  (4) Agreement to work towards adopting a Letter of Understanding.

Current Status of Negotiations

The triparty quarterly meetings are on-going with negotiations are focusing with work plan for this year’s negotiations including:
  • Addressing potential implications of Treaty 11 including the formation of a joint policy and legal working group to consider potential implications of Treaty 11 on negotiations conducted in BC
  • Negotiating a Letter of Understanding of the three parties
  • Establishing working group side tables to advance discussions regarding matters within British Columbia’s jurisdiction that are of immediate concern to Acho Dene Koe First Nation. Working groups to be established with the following Ministries:
  1. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship: to address wildlife management, land use planning and resource management and decision-making issues
  2. Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions: to address carbon credits
  3. Ministry of Forests: to address forestry decision-making and economic opportunities
  • Ethnohistorical and oral history research conducted with an aim to aid Acho Dene Koe First Nation in gaining a deeper understanding of its connection to its Traditional Territory and the nature of its rights, thereby supporting reconciliation negotiations with British Columbia and Canada. 
  • Advance Land Use Planning for the Traditional territory which will conclude the identification our First Nation’s priority interests in land designations and will form our desire in negotiating incremental interim agreements on the matters of Land use, Watershed planning, Fish, migratory birds, wildlife harvesting and management, Forestry, and Economic opportunities.
  • Other specific initiatives include discussions and internal work concerning carbon credits (research, education, and investigation into carbon credits), oil and gas (to assessing the current state of the industry and explore potential opportunities for oil and gas in the future), outreach with neighbouring First Nations (to explore relationships with overlapping interests and to conduct a SWOT analysis with these Nations on shared economic and cultural interests.)
For detailed information regarding negotiations in British Columbia, including the members involved from Canada, British Columbia, and Acho Dene Koe First Nation, as well as recent meeting notes and scheduled dates for upcoming main table meetings, please refer to our newsletters and Information Releases available publicly here on this website and on our Social media pages.