The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Prince George Airport Authority signed a collaboration agreement on Thursday morning.
The agreement will see the First Nation and airport board meet biannually to discuss issues of mutual interest, and work together on common issues. In addition, a plaque acknowledging the unceded land of the Lheidli T’enneh will be displayed at the airport and, once the ground thaws, a flagpole will be installed to fly the Lheidli T’enneh flag at the airport.
“It says to me that the (Prince George Airport Authority) recognizes that we are the owners of our traditional lands,” Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan said. “We are honoured to be signing this collaboration today.”
Logan said she hopes seeing the First Nation’s flag flying outside the airport will make Indigenous people of all nations feel comfortable and welcomed at the airport.
Prince George Airport Authority chairperson Derek Doherty said the agreement is a step towards reconciliation, and he hopes to see the agreement grow into further collaboration in the future.
“We all work, live and play in the unceded ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh,” Doherty said. “We decided that actions speak louder than words, and it was time to extend the hand of friendship and partnership to our host First Nation – and we were thrilled when (the Lheidli T’ennh First Nation) said yes.”
