TREATY NEGOTIATIONS

FVTAC Table Representative:  Director Dennis Adamson
Yale First Nation Chief Negotiator: Chief Robert Hope
Canada Chief Negotiator: Bill Dymond
BC Chief Negotiator: Mark Lofthouse

The Yale First Nation treaty table completed stage 4 of the BC Treaty Commission Process and a formal signing of the Agreement in Principle took place on March 9th, 2006 with the expectation of Final Agreement being achieved by 2007. This made Yale First Nation the sixth table to achieve AiP status in BC.

Currenty, there are 59 First Nations in the Treaty Process in BC. Forty-two First Nations are currently negotiating agreements-in-principle, and four are negotiating to finalize a treaty including Yale First Nation. The Province and Yale First Nation completed their negotiations toward a treaty and reached an understanding on the substantive elements of a final agreement. A signing of the understanding took place on November 20, 2008.

On February 5th, 2010, the Chief Negotiators of Yale First Nation, British Columbia and Canada  initialled the Yale Final Agreement, marking a significant step forward in bringing certainty and economic prosperity to the community.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Aside from substantive progress at the treaty table, Yale First Nation and the FVRD have been actively engaged in building government to government relations. A Governance Treaty Related Measure was established through the treaty process to assist in this endeavour. A Memorandum of Understanding and Protocol Agreement was drafted and endorsed by the FVRD Board of Directors. The agreement lays out principles of co-operation, shared values, key interests and the parties’ intentions regarding communications and consultation. A formal signing of this agreement by all parties took place on January 24, 2006 at a FVRD Board of Directors meeting. As a next step in the intergovernmental relations process, Yale First Nation is exploring the possibility of a mentoring program with the FVRD.