Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, has issued the following statement in response to the “yes” vote by eligible voters on the ratification of the Kitselas Treaty and Self-Government Constitution:

“On behalf of all British Columbians, I would like to congratulate the members and leadership of Kitselas First Nation on the successful ratification of their treaty and constitution.

“Of the more than 95% of eligible voters who voted on the treaty and constitution, 85% voted ‘yes’ on the treaty and 81% voted ‘yes’ on the constitution. For the treaty and constitution to be ratified, each vote required a double majority. That means more than 50% of eligible voters on the voters list needed to cast a ballot, and more than 50% of those voters needed to cast a ballot in favour of the treaty and constitution. Based on these results, these thresholds were met.

“Kitselas First Nation, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia have been in treaty negotiations since 1993.

“With negotiations on the Kitselas Treaty complete, and a successful Kitselas ratification vote, the Kitselas people have now chosen their path forward. This decision is one that generations of Kitselas people have worked toward.

“In particular, I wish to congratulate Chief Councillor Glenn Bennett of Kitselas First Nation, Kitselas Council, Elders, past Chiefs, the Kitselas Treaty Team, the Eligibility and Enrolment team, and the Tripartite Ratification Committee for all of their hard work and dedication that has brought us to this momentous day. I acknowledge the work has been immense. We wouldn’t be here without you. 

“I would like to express our government’s recognition, in particular, for the many years of dedicated service by Mel Bevan, Sm'ooyget Satsan, who passed away in October 2023, and who served as Kitselas Chief Negotiator for many years.

“The next step is for British Columbia to ratify the treaty, then all parties sign and finally Canada ratifies. Provincial and federal ratification involves the B.C. legislature and Canadian Parliament each passing treaty implementation legislation. As the minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, I remain firmly committed to taking this path alongside the Kitselas people.

“Throughout the next steps of this process, there will be further opportunities for regional and public engagement, as well as ongoing consultation with neighbouring First Nations.

“The Kitselas Treaty is a path to self-governance, recognition of rights, collaborative resource management, and new economic opportunity. It provides the basis for a revitalized relationship between Kitselas, their neighbours and all levels of government by fostering shared understanding, providing certainty and supporting further work together in the region.”

Learn More:

For more information about the vote, visit:
https://kitselastreaty.ca/

For more information about Kitselas Treaty negotiations, visit:
https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/kitselas-and-kitsumkalum-treaty-negotiations