Members of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation are going back to the polls this year to vote on the long-simmering treaty proposal with the province.
"We have been involved in the B.C. Treaty process since December 1993 - exactly 22 years - so the time has come to work toward our final decision and set the direction for our future," said Chief Dominic Frederick, in a press release.
The last time band members voted was nearly a decade ago in March 2007 when the treaty was defeated by a vote 123-111.
In the intervening years, an internal working group has been reviewing the proposed treaty and alternatives and concluded that for the First Nation to "be economically viable and self-sufficient, the best governance option available is through ratification of the final agreement."
According to the press release announcing the vote, ballots will be cast in mid 2016 following an "enhanced process of member consultation and communication."
Frederick said they are "absolutely committed to fully informing all members" and that one of the criticisms following the 2007 vote was that some members didn't fully understand the terms and effect of the proposed agreement.
As it stood in 2007, the agreement included (among many other items) $27 million in one-time case, a 50-year revenue-sharing contract, more than 4,200 hectares of treaty lands, and the ability for the Lheidli T'enneh to assess property taxes on their land and pass laws.
"Much is being said about 'reconciliation' and many people are asking what that means," Frederick said, in a press release. "We want to be clear that reconciling our Aboriginal rights with the rest of Canadian society has always been the main purpose of our treaty negotiations."
