Nisga'a Final Agreement

The Nisga'a Final Agreement, also known as the Nisga'a Treaty, is a treaty that was settled between the Nisg̱a'a, the government of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada that was singed on 27 May 1998 and came into effect on 11 May 11 2000. It was the first modern day comprehensive treaty in British Columbia. As part of the settlement in the Nass River valley nearly 2,000 square kilometres of land was officially recognized as Nisg̱a'a, and a 300,000 cubic decameter water reservation was also created. Bear Glacier Provincial Park was also created as a result of this agreement. Thirty-one Nisga'a placenames in the territory became official names. The land-claim settlement was the first formal treaty signed by a First Nation in British Columbia since the Douglas Treaties in 1854 (pertaining to areas on Vancouver Island) and Treaty 8 in 1899 (pertaining to northeastern British Columbia). The agreement gives the Nisga'a control over their land, including the forestry and fishing resources contained in it.

The agreement was signed on 27 May 1998 by Joseph Gosnell, Nelson Leeson and Edmond Wright of the Nisg̱a'a Nation and by Premier Glen Clark for the Province of British Columbia. Then Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jane Stewart signed the agreement for the Canadian federal government on 4 May 1999.

Role of hereditary chiefs

The Final Agreement recognized that the hereditary chiefs Simgigat (hereditary chiefs) and Sigidimhaanak (matriarchs), Adaawak (oral histories) continued to play an important role in accordance with the Ayuuk (Nisga'a traditional laws and practices).

Legal challenges

The constitutional legality of the Nisga'a Final Agreement was challenged by some Nisga'a under Laxsgiik chief James Robinson (Sga'nisim Sim'oogit) and Mercy Thomas, particularly the self-government and law-making powers of Nisga’a government. On October 19, 2011 the Supreme Court of British Columbia handed down its decision upholding the constitutional validity of the Nisga’a Final Agreement.

External links

• "Nisga'a Final Agreement Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government" (PDF). Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). 15 September 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
• "Nisga'a Final Agreement and Background Information". Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
• "Nisga'a Final Agreement Act (1999)". Province of British Columbia. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.