In 10 days, Kitselas Members have the historic opportunity to vote on the Kitselas Treaty and Constitution. Why Your Vote Matters The Kitselas Treaty and Constitution are designed to strengthen our Nation’s future by securing land ownership, governance rights, and
The Kitselas Treaty is a big step for the Kitselas First Nation. Instead of being ruled by the Indian Act, the Kitselas People will have our own government and Constitution. With Treaty, we will make our own laws, decide what
Following a successful ratification process and a ‘yes’ vote to the Kitselas Treaty, Kitselas, BC, and Canada must take steps to prepare for the Treaty’s Effective Date, estimated to be three to four years from now, and implement the Treaty.
For our Treaty to come into effect, it must first be ratified by Kitselas Members who have enrolled to be part of a Kitselas Treaty (Kitselas voters). To ratify the Treaty means the Kitselas Members give formal consent to the
The cash settlement (Capital Transfer) is around $140 million. This money will compensate Kitselas for our outstanding Land Claims and broken promises under historic laws and agreements. Kitselas will also receive several million dollars each year for new programs and
The Treaty will ensure we retain our Aboriginal rights to harvest fish and other fresh and saltwater species, including salmon (hoon), bivalves, marine mammals, aquatic plants, and others. In the Treaty, Kitselas Citizens will have the right to hunt or
In a modern democratic society, the Constitution is the ‘foundation.’ It sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Legislature (elected officials), how laws are made, a modern administration with real accountability, and a way to appeal administrative decisions. It
Enrolment in the Kitselas Treaty is now open! You need to be enrolled if you want to vote on the Kitselas Constitution and Treaty. As a Kitselas Member, you can enrol to vote on the Kitselas Constitution and Treaty. If
Our people have resided in the Kitselas Canyon area for over 5,000 years – we were self-governing long before European contact. But the Indian Act took away our right to self-govern and has since controlled almost every aspect of our
Kitselas Treaty Settlement Lands With Treaty, Kitselas will receive approximately 95,000 acres (around 380 square kilometres) as our Kitselas Treaty Settlement Lands (TSL or Kitselas Lands). The Kitselas Lands include our current Indian Reserves. Our Kitselas Lands are 35 times