K’ómoks First Nation, Canada, and British Columbia take important step to advance reconciliation by initialling the draft K’ómoks Treaty

K’ómoks, British Columbia, July 22, 2024 — Today, Elected Chief Ken Price of the K’ómoks First Nation (K’ómoks); the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations; and the Honourable Murray Rankin, B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, marked a significant milestone towards renewing their nation-to-nation relationships.

The Chief Negotiators of all three parties, witnessed by these dignitaries, have initialled the draft K’ómoks Treaty, representing a significant step toward K’ómoks becoming a self-governing First Nation. This milestone aligns with K’ómoks’s vision of self-determination, and a prosperous, healthy future that honours their people, culture, languages, and the land and water.

The next steps in this process include a treaty ratification vote by K’ómoks First Nation. Should the K’ómoks community ratify the treaty, the federal and provincial governments would then undergo their own ratification processes through legislation. It is anticipated the full ratification process will take three years, with an effective treaty date projected for 2028.

This treaty represents significant shifts in the treaty negotiations process in B.C., including finalizing the Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia in 2019. These positive changes reflect new collaborative approaches to negotiation that expedite the process and better address the needs and priorities of communities. They align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The parties look forward to finalizing this important work and seeing the positive impact this historic agreement will have for members of the K’ómoks First Nation, should they choose to ratify the treaty, as well as for everyone living in B.C. and Canada.