LAX KW'ALAAMS, BC, April 13, 2026 /CNW/ -

Concerns
The Nine Allied Tribes ("NAT") and Lax Kw'alaams Band ("LKB") were blindsided by eleventh-hour notice from the Government of British Columbia of their plan to table legislation to enact the Kitselas First Nations ("Kitselas") treaty without fixing fundamental flaws that threaten reconciliation and legal certainty.

The NAT and LKB have remained clear, they support all their Tsimshian neighbours asserting the right to self-government through treaty in their own territory. The NAT and LKB will take every legal, peaceful, and public step and action necessary to defend and declare Aboriginal title over their territory, inherent rights, and inheritance belonging to their present and future generations.

However, the NAT and LKB understand this legislation was short-sight and would negatively, irreparably, and indefinitely impact their inherent rights and title, and create uncertainty for upcoming economic development. Among other things, the NAT and LKB report the proposed treaty legislation would:

• extend Kitselas treaty lands and rights into the NAT and LKB territory without their consent and in breach of Tsimshian laws;
• require the Crown to seek the free, prior, and informed consent from Kitselas with respect to economic development activities in a vast area that includes the Port of Prince Rupert; and
• create new harvesting rights for Kitselas in the territory of the Nine Allied Tribes and Lax Kw'alaams, including on private land.

The NAT and LKB informed the Government of British Columbia of these basic problems and other critical concerns, however the current Government of British Columbia did not meaningfully addressed them. NAT and LKB were fully consulted on this treaty, which impacts over 90% of their territory, and they were not offered accommodation for irreparable impacts to their inherent rights and title.

Despite having an agreed consultation process with the NAT and LKB, the Government of British Columbia intends to prematurely introduce the treaty legislation that would irreparably and indefinitely impact NAT and LKB inherent rights and title and create economic uncertainty for the entire North Coast region.

NAT and LKB recognize this is a glaring willful disregard of the current Government of British Columbia's own reconciliation policies, principles, and commitments that would damage the relationship and reconciliation with NAT and LKB.

NAT and LKB observed the Government of British Columbia intentionally keep NAT and LKB in the dark on this legislation, and did not include NAT and LKB in co-development as required by law. By excluding NAT and LKB in co-developing this legislation, the Government of British Columbia deliberately dismissed the irreparable impacts this treaty legislation will have on the NAT and LKB, and their Indigenous legal order

British Columbians and the NAT and LKB have watched the current Government of British Columbia's disregard provincial policy, legal, and constitutional obligations which will create massive uncertainty. NAT and LKB see this reckless approach hurts prosperity in their North Coast region, and the public interest in general. The treaty legislation as drafted would impact private property rights, non-Indigenous governments, and regional economic and public interests.

The NAT and LKB  have called upon the Honourable Premier David Eby and Honourable Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert to immediately pause the legislation, fix the fundamental problems with the proposed treaty, fulfill their legal duties, and complete good-faith consultation with the NAT and LKB before introducing or passing any legislation to ratify the treaty.

The NAT and LKB are also calling upon all Members of the Legislative Assembly to hold the Government of British Columbia accountable by demanding that this legislation halt until the consultation and accommodation processes are completed and the proposed treaty becomes consistent with The NAT and LKB legal obligations and the public interest.

The NAT and LKB will make their voices heard nationwide and on the legislature steps in Victoria at every stage, and they confirm they remain ready should the Honourable Minister Chandra Herbert decide to prematurely proceed and introduce this treaty legislation in the current session.

Quotes
On Monday April 13, 2026, Nine Allied Tribes hereditary leader and spokesperson Stan Dennis Jr. stated:

"The Nine Allied Tribes have held our inherent rights and title since the dawn of time, and we have never ceded or surrendered our title and territory, or relinquished our inherent rights to any government or surrounding First Nation. We have a consultation protocol agreement with the Government of British Columbia, and we hold this protocol with the utmost seriousness, and we call on the Government of British Columbia to do the same."

"We know our history, Tsimshian law, and our territory very well, and our collective identity is alive and well. Our Tsimshian law, and Canadian law, extends to our Tsimshian neighbours, but the Government of British Columbia and Kitselas First Nation ignore this to their whim."

"The Government of British Columbia admitted they prioritize treaty First Nations over us, but we demand mutual respect and benefit. We need the Government of British Columbia and Members of the Legislative Assembly to take action to ensure fairness of opportunity respecting our rights."

On Monday April 13, 2026, Lax Kw'alams elected Mayor Garry Reece stated:

"We have never changed our boundaries as agreed on record by all our Tsimshian neighbours. These historical boundary and territorial agreements are binding in our Tsimshian law, and serve as legally valid evidence on all Tsimshian groups' strength of claim."

"Under Tsimshian and Canadian law, the Government of British Columbia and our Tsimshian neighbours cannot pass treaty legislation without full consultation and accommodation, and obtaining our full consent – this has not happened yet. But we remain available to continue to proceed in good faith to find a path forward and follow due process."

"Above all, our Nine Allied Tribes and elected leaders will take every legal, peaceful, and public step necessary to defend our territory, inherent rights and title, and ancestral birthrights of present and future generations of our Nine Allied Tribes and Lax Kw'alaams people."

On Monday April 13, 2026, Art Sterritt, former President of the now dissolved Tsimshian Tribal Council, stated:

"Tsimshian First Nations need to return to the mutual respect and agreement on territorial boundaries they agreed to during the Tsimshian Tribal Council era [1990s to early 2000s]. Each Tsimshian territorial boundary was documented in maps, and at that time I do not recall any significant disputes over territorial boundaries. These Tsimshian First Nation territorial boundary map records are available to this day."

SOURCE Lax Kw’alaams Band