BC Gov News

During the past three years, the Province’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia has remained strong.

The provincial government and Indigenous peoples continue to explore new ways to work together – to listen and learn about what matters most to Indigenous peoples, and how this partnership can grow for the benefit of all British Columbians. These accomplishments align with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

The Province and Indigenous peoples are committed to building on these accomplishments and to continuing to create the important foundations that will fulfill a shared vision of self-determining, healthy and prosperous Indigenous communities throughout British Columbia.

Reconciliation in action

• Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act passes, recognizing the human rights of Indigenous peoples in law: B.C. became the first province in Canada to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through legislation developed in collaboration with First Nations partners. (November 2019)
• First Nations share in provincial gaming revenue: A long-term agreement to share 7% of the BC Lottery Corporation’s net income is expected to provide B.C. First Nations with approximately $3 billion over the next 25 years. This means First Nations can plan for the long term and invest in the services they decide their communities need to thrive and prosper. (September 2020)
• Support for Indigenous peoples in justice system: The BC First Nations Justice Strategy was signed with the BC First Nations Justice Council to improve Indigenous people’s experience within the justice system. (March 2020)
• Expansion of Indigenous Courts: B.C. committed expand the number of Indigenous Courts to seven, with the addition of Williams Lake in 2020 (scheduled May opening was delayed due to COVID-19). Indigenous courts deal with the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the province's correctional system by having judges work with lawyers, community elders and victims to come up with a healing plan for the offender. (December 2019)
• Launch of Indigenous justice centres: B.C. is working with the BC First Nations Justice Council to create Indigenous justice centres throughout the province, improving access to supports and helping individuals more easily navigate the justice system. Centres are now open in Merritt, Prince George and Prince Rupert, with more locations to be determined in the coming years. (August 2020)
• New B.C.-specific policy supports treaty negotiations, advances innovations in treaty-making: The First Nations Summit and provincial and federal governments developed a new policy for treaty negotiations in B.C. that prioritizes a recognition and continuation of rights approach. (September 2019)
• Draft principles that guide the Province of British Columbia’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples created: The draft principles support B.C.’s commitment to work with Indigenous peoples with a resource to help guide all public-service employees’ relationship with Indigenous peoples based on respect and recognition of inherent rights. (May 2018)

Sustainable communities

• Supporting greener Indigenous communities: The Province supports local governments, First Nations, Indigenous organizations, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations throughout British Columbia for investments in clean-energy projects. Funding is from the Province and the Government of Canada through the CleanBC Communities Fund. (August 2020)
• New housing for Indigenous families: A 10-year, $550-million investment to build and operate 1,750 new housing units, on and off reserve. (February 2019)
• Historic investment in rural internet service: $50 million to expand high-speed internet service for people living in 200 rural and Indigenous communities. (March 2019)
• Expansion of B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development Program: Additional funding amounts to $145,000 to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to strengthen and grow food and agriculture business. Contributes to local jobs and increased food security in remote and rural communities. (June 2020)
• Together BC – the Province’s first Poverty Reduction Strategy announced: Includes cross-government initiatives to address disproportionate rates of poverty among Indigenous peoples, both on and off reserve. (March 2019)
• Better drinking water and wastewater systems: Joint provincial and federal government funding creates projects to provide safe, reliable drinking water in small communities, including First Nations communities, and provide new and upgraded wastewater systems in growing communities. (August 2019)
• Safe link between communities for people in northern B.C.: Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan funds $800,000 to expand inter-community transit services. (May 2019)
• First Nations Driver Education Program: More than 200 students have participated in driver training in locations along the Highway 16 corridor, helping Indigenous peoples find good jobs. (May 2019)
• Government partners with communities on wildfire risks: New Community Investment Program provides $50 million over three years to local governments and First Nations to help reduce wildfire risks in communities. (September 2018)
• New infrastructure investments build stronger communities: $100 million over 10 years to rural and Indigenous communities to meet infrastructure, community and cultural priorities, including Indigenous health and educational facilities. (September 2018)
• Friendship Centre support for better services for urban Indigenous peoples: $6.45 million over three years, tripling the financial support for Friendship Centres through the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, which represents B.C.’s 25 Aboriginal Friendship Centres. (April 2018)

Education, jobs and opportunities

• $13 million for University of Victoria’s National Centre for Indigenous Laws: The new addition will be home to the world’s first joint degree in Indigenous legal orders and Canadian common law (JD/JID), which launched at UVic in 2018, and to the Indigenous Law Research Unit. (September 2020)
• $4 million throughout 2018-19 awarded for skills development: 296 people in 12 communities get the opportunity to build skills for jobs in e-commerce, entrepreneurship and tourism; supporting Indigenous communities through the Community Workforce Response Grant program. (2018-19)
• Expanded Export Navigator Program: A new Indigenous export planning services advisor will provide free support to help Indigenous small businesses in six rural economic development regions grow their businesses through exporting. (October 2019)
• First Nations students benefit from BC Tripartite Education Agreement: The only agreement of its kind in Canada, bringing $100 million in federal funding over five years to ensure an equitable education for all First Nations students, no matter where they live or go to school in B.C. (January 2019)
• Curriculum transformation: All subjects and grades in the B.C. school curriculum now include Indigenous perspectives, and several Indigenous-focused courses were introduced as a part of the new graduation program (2017-19).
• Educator professional development: K-12 educators gain a designated non-instructional day to focus on Indigenous perspectives in the classroom and Indigenous student achievement (September 2019).
• Opening doors and creating pathways for Indigenous teachers: A $2.7-million investment in Indigenous teacher education training to bring more Indigenous teachers into classrooms. (June 2019)
• First Nations supported in education decision-making: $3 million in funding for education agreements with school boards to ensure First Nations are directly involved in decisions about how their children are educated. (June 2019)
• New teaching standard strengthens Truth and Reconciliation in the classroom: Indigenous students become better supported and more connected in school with new professional standard that requires teachers to commit to truth, reconciliation and healing. (June 2019)
• Indigenous languages: $190,000 ($10,000 for 19 districts) for 17 Indigenous language curricula in K-12, with more on the way. (2018).
• Provincial Tuition Waiver Program expansion: 1,195 former youth in care are benefiting from the provincial tuition waiver program, compared to 189 youth in 2016-17 under the initial voluntary program — an increase of over 500%. (June 2020)
• Expanded support for youth aging out of care: $7.7 million to ensure that young adults who have spent time in government care receive more financial support for rent, child care and health care while in post-secondary programs. (February 2018)
• Indigenous Emergency Assistance Fund: The fund provided $1.5 million in 2020 to public post-secondary institutions for emergency funding for Indigenous learners. (April 2020)
• Indigenous Language Fluency: Provided $2 million to the First Nations Education Steering Committee to pilot the Indigenous Language Fluency Degree in communities. (March 2019)
• The First Nations Children and Youth in Care Protocol: A commitment from the Province and First Nations to work together to engage in dialogue and joint action on specific issues and initiatives, seeking to improve the educational outcomes and well-being of Indigenous children and youth in care, and former youth in care through legislative, policy and practice reform. (May 2020)

People and culture

• Historic Indigenous language revitalization: A $50-million grant to the First Peoples’ Cultural Council to help revitalize Indigenous languages. (March 2018)
• Partnership between the B.C. government and Indigenous Tourism BC: Through Destination BC, the Province provided Indigenous Tourism BC with $4 million over three years and an increase of $1 million over the previous three years. It will go toward funding Indigenous tourism specialists throughout the province and enhancing Indigenous Tourism BC’s digital resources. (April 2020)
• New and improved culture and recreation centres for Indigenous peoples and communities: For the first time, First Nations can apply for infrastructure funding for community, culture and recreation facilities, under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program. (September 2019)
• Enabling more B.C. athletes to participate at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG): $1.46 million to offset fees and travel costs for participants at the 2020 NAIG. (June 2019)
• Helping kids thrive through the power of sport: $2.5 million to expand Sport BC’s KidSport program to encourage greater participation from under-represented children, including Indigenous youth. (May 2019)
• Royal BC Museum repatriation handbook: The museum introduced the first repatriation handbook to be created by and for Indigenous peoples. The handbook will be a resource for communities throughout B.C. and around the world as they undertake this important work. (March 2019)
• Modernizing the Royal BC Museum: The Royal BC Museum is committed to working closely with Indigenous communities throughout the modernization project and into the future, and held a focused engagement to start the process. (April-June 2019)
• Supporting Indigenous Arts and Culture: The BC Arts Council is providing record-high support for Indigenous arts and culture through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. In addition, one of the four priorities of the council’s new strategic plan is supporting Indigenous arts and culture. (2018-20)

Health and wellness

• Support for engagement with urban Indigenous peoples: $1.125 million over three years (2019-20 to 2021-22) to support initiatives led by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, including engagement across the 25 Friendship Centres in B.C. in the development of a new Urban Indigenous Wellness Framework that provides much-needed direction on how all system partners and stakeholders can work together to improve health and wellness outcomes of urban Indigenous peoples in B.C. (2019)
• Support for Métis-led mental health and wellness initiatives: $1.125 million over three years (2019-20 to 2021-22) to Métis Nation BC to support Métis-led health and wellness initiatives, including the development of a Métis cultural wellness curriculum, harm reduction and overdose prevention, a Métis-specific crisis line support and the Métis Youth Mental Health and Wellness Initiative. (2019)
• Upgrade to First Nations-operated treatment centres. $20 million in 2019-20 from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, matched with $20 million from the First Nations Health Authority, to support the replacement of six existing treatment facilities and the construction of two new urban treatment facilities. (May 2019)
• Expansion of First Nations Land-based Healing Initiatives. $23.25 million over three years to the First Nations Health Authority to support First Nations-led land-based healing and treatment initiatives at local and regional level. (2018)
• Tripartite partnership to improve mental health and wellness services: $30 million over three years was committed to improve mental health and wellness of Indigenous peoples. The Province, First Nations Health Council and the Government of Canada signed a MOU to support Nation rebuilding and wellness through a community-driven, Nation-based approach to the design, planning and delivery of First Nations mental health and wellness services and supports. (July 2018)
• Support for First Nations Health Authority overdose response: $24 million over three years will support First Nations Health Authority and the implementation of its Framework for Action: Responding to the Overdose/Opioid Public Health Emergency for First Nations. (2018)

Land, wildlife and natural resources

• New roles for First Nations and communities in the energy sector: The Phase 2 interim report of the BC Hydro Review addressed future opportunities for First Nations in the development, ownership or operation of electrical infrastructure or services, and recommendations of ways to enhance First Nations’ participation in the energy sector. (March 2020)
• Caribou protection in northeastern B.C.: The B.C government partnered with the Saulteau and West Moberly First Nations and the federal government to achieve a historic agreement that strives to protect southern mountain caribou in northeastern B.C., while considering the social and economic well-being of communities and stakeholders in the region. (February 2020)
• Investments in wild salmon conservation, habitat restoration and research science projects: The governments of Canada and B.C. launched the $143-million B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund. (September 2019)
• The Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Group on Agriculture: Formed to provide strategic advice and better support the interests of Indigenous communities and businesses engaging in land-based agriculture, expand related economic development activities and help create a new relationship between Indigenous peoples and the ministry. (September 2019)
• Wildfire recovery: $22 million to assist rural and Indigenous communities to recover from natural resources affected by wildfires. (2018)
• $101-million investment in wildfire prevention and preparedness: Supports local governments and First Nations to reduce wildfire risks by completing fuel management projects, developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans and implementing FireSmart principles. (August 2019)
• Improvements to Forest and Range Practices Act support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples: Guiding principles include: putting resiliency of the land first, public trust, reconciliation with First Nations and scientific knowledge, flexibility and adaptation. (May 2019)
• Shared decision-making with Tsilhqot’in National Government on moose management: Roundtable discussion focuses on efforts to protect moose and the way of life for many people who live in Cariboo Chilcotin. (December 2018)
• First Nations, B.C. reach landmark agreement on fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago: Namgis, Kwikwasutinuxw Haxwa’mis, Mamalilikulla First Nations, and the Province complete historic, government-to-government agreement to protect and restore wild salmon stocks, allow an orderly transition plan for open-pen finfish for the Broughton area and create a more sustainable future for local communities and workers. (December 2018)
• End to grizzly bear hunt: Province commits to improve wildlife management in B.C. and develops a focused grizzly bear management plan. (December 2018)
• Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, conservation officers collaborate on enforcement: MOU to work together to promote the sustainability of wildlife. (December 2018)
• New legislation revitalizes environmental assessment process: Provides a clear, timely path for project approvals, supports reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, increases public engagement and transparency and delivers stronger environmental protections. (November 2018)
• Indigenous communities get support to develop agriculture businesses, protect food security: Through the B.C. Indigenous Agriculture Development program, develop skills from professional, qualified business consultants. (October 2018)
• Nicola Watershed Governance Project: MOU with five Nicola Nations uses collaboration and innovation to sustainably govern water resources in the Nicola watershed for the benefit of future generations. (March 2018)

Children and families

• An end to birth alerts: B.C. ends the practice of issuing “birth alerts” for what are deemed high-risk parents. The alerts have been primarily issued for marginalized and Indigenous women. Through a collaborative model, health-care providers and social service workers will no longer share information about expectant parents without consent from those parents. (September 2019)
• Tripartite MOU on Secwépemc jurisdiction for child and family services: MOU provides framework that charts the path forward in recognizing and implementing Secwépemc jurisdiction for child and family services. (July 2019)
• Caregivers for B.C.’s most vulnerable get first pay increase in a decade: Indigenous children in care benefit from a boost of $109 million over three years to foster parents, adoptive caregivers, family members caring for children and Community Living BC home-share providers. (February 2019)
• Indigenous communities benefit from new child-care partnerships: $30 million is being invested to expand the Aboriginal Head Start program to provide culturally based, inclusive child care, family bonding and prevention services to Indigenous families. $3.6 million over three years will support 11 new early learning and child care planning positions to address the specific needs of Indigenous children, families and communities. (November 2018)
• Métis take control of their own child welfare: B.C. and Métis Nation BC sign a joint commitment setting the goal to transfer authority for Metis child welfare by 2021. (June 2018)
• Changes to the Child, Family and Community Services Act: Legislative amendments will help keep Indigenous children out of care and ensure Indigenous communities have greater involvement in child welfare decisions. (May 2018)

Agreements with First Nations

There are 203 First Nations living in British Columbia. Many are working with the Province on agreements, including negotiations on various types of treaty agreements, reconciliation agreements, foundation agreements and more.

Treaty agreements:

• Halalt First Nation - Incremental Treaty Agreement (May 2020)
• Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group - Transition to Stage 5 and Treaty Revitalization Agreement (August 2019)
• K’ómoks First Nation - Treaty Revitalization Agreement (August 2019)
• We Wai Kai Nation - Transition to Stage 5 Negotiations Under the BC Treaty Process and Incremental Treaty Agreement (August 2019)
• Wei Wai Kum First Nation - Transition to Stage 5 Negotiations Under the BC Treaty Process (August 2019)
• Kwiakah First Nation - Transition to Stage 5 Negotiations Under the BC Treaty Process (August 2019)
• Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations - Agreement-in-Principle (June 2019)
• Metlakatla First Nation - Transition to Stage 5 and Treaty Revitalization Agreement (February 2019)
• Ktunaxa Nation - Rights Recognition and Core Treaty Memorandum of Understanding (December 2018)
• Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw - Stage 5 Treaty Negotiations Memorandum of Understanding (October 2018)
• Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw - Agreement-in-Principle (June 2018)
• Malahat Nation - Incremental Treaty Agreement (March 2018)

Reconciliation agreements:

• Lake Babine Foundation Agreement (September 2020)
• Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs - Memorandum of Understanding B.C. and Canada to implement Wet’suwet’en rights and title (May 2020)
• Carrier Sekani First Nations - Pathways Forward 2.0 Agreement (January 2020)
• Heiltsuk Nation - Tuigila “To Make a Path Forward” Agreement for Implementation of Heiltsuk Title, Rights and Self-government (August 2019)
• Secwepemc - Letter of Commitment (March 2019)
• Cheslatta Carrier Nation - Interim Reconciliation Agreement and Settlement Agreement (January 2019)
• Lake Babine Nation - Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to Guide Rights Implementation and Reconciliation Negotiations (December 2018)
• shíshálh Nation - Foundation Agreement (October 2018)
• Southern Dakelh Nation Alliance - Foundation Framework Agreement (Hubulhsooninats’Uhoot’alh) (August 2018)
• Coastal First Nations - Memorandum of Understanding for Reconciliation Protocol 2.0 (July 2020) 

Government-to-government agreements:

• Tsilhqot’in Nation - Gwets’en Nilt’I Pathway Agreement (August 2019)) 
• Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw - Yecweminul’ecw Agreement (October 2018)
• Maa-nulth First Nations – to strengthen and affirm treaty partnership (January 2018)

Economic development agreements:

• Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation and Ulkatcho First Nation - Economic Community Development Agreement (January 2020)
• Gitxaala First Nation - Coastal Benefits Agreement and LNG Benefits Agreement (March 2019)
• Kitsumkalum First Nation - Coastal Benefits Agreement and LNG Benefits Agreement (March 2019)
• Nicola Valley First Nations - Economic Development Protocol Agreement (March 2019)
• Tahltan - Revenue Sharing Agreement (June 2018)
• Nisga’a Nation - Economic and Community Development Agreement for the Brucejack Gold Mine (January 2018)