Welcome to Our Website!

Te'mexw Treaty Association is formed of 5 Coast Salish First Nations- Songhees (Lekwungen), Nanoose (Snaw'Naw'As), Beecher Bay (Scia'new) T'Souke and Malahat. The five Te'mexw Member First Nations initially joined together with one common objective to support one another and combine forces to work together under one organization to negotiate a treaty under the British Columbia Treaty Process.

Songhees (Lekwungen), Nanoose (Snaw-naw-as), Beecher Bay (Scia'new), T'Sou-ke, and Malahat all share common history, culture and experiences with federal and provincial governments. Each of these member first nations is descendants of the original signatories of the Douglas Treaties on the mid-nineteenth century. James Douglas signed fourteen treaties on Vancouver Island during this period. These Douglas treaties encompass approximately 358 square miles of land around Victoria, Saanich, Sooke, Nanaimo and Port Hardy. These treaties were never honoured or recognized by both the federal and provincial governments.

Our objective to negotiate a treaty that is acceptable to each of our individual Nations that will sustain us well into the future for our children and great grandchildren and the many generations to come

upcoming Annual report from bc treaty commission

BC Treaty 2011 Annual Report

British Columbia should abandon its 140-year-old quest for treaties with first nations if it cannot find the will to make and meettargets for treaty settlements, says the head of the BC Treaty Commission.

 

“We know in the next few years we could have 13 treaties done,” said chief commissioner Sophie Pierre as she released the commission’s latest annual report on Wednesday. “And if we can’t do it, it’s about time we faced the obvious – it isn’t going to happen, so shut ’er down.”


The treaty commission will mark its 20th anniversary next year. In that time, the process has led to three settlements – and one of those won’t be implemented until 2013.


More Info...

BY THE NUMBERS

140 – the number of years British Columbia has been wrestling over land and governance with its first nations

19 – years since the B.C. Treaty Commission was established to settle those questions

2 – number of treaties that have come into effect under the commission process to date. (A third is expected to do so in 2013.)

60 – number of first nations (representing 110 bands) in treaty negotiations

$10-billion – the value to the B.C. economy if treaties are settled, according to an economic study done for the B.C. Treaty


OBTAIN YOUR COPY OF THE BC TREATY 2011 ANNUAL REPORT HERE

featured video


 

STAGE ONE
STAGE TWO
STAGE FOUR
JULY 15TH 1994
NOV. 2ND 1995
DEC. 5TH 1996
STATEMENT OF INTENT TTA MEMBER NATIONS SUBMITTED FACTS AND MAPS TO SUPPORT THEIR CLAIM TO TRADITIONAL TERRITORY
READINESS ASSESSMENT FIRST NATIONS MET WITH CANADA AND BC TO SHOW PARTIES ARE READY TO NEGOTIATE. BCTC MAKES DECLARATION THAT PARTIES WILL PROCEED

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT PARTIES AGREED TO AGENDA AND SET TIMELINES

STAGE FOUR
LAND & CASH OFFER
COUNTER OFFER
1997
DEC. 10TH 2008
FEB. 2009
AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE (AIP) NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN POSITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRESENTED AT A NEGOTIATING TABLE. THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT LEGALLY BINDING
LAND & CASH OFFER PRESENTED TO TTA BY FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS

REVIEW OF OFFER BY FIRST NATIONS COMPLETED. INPUT GATHERED FOR COUNTER OFFER.

COUNTER OFFER PRESENTED TO GOVERNMENTS

AIP NEGOTIATIONS
STAGE FIVE
STAGE SIX
2010
2012
2013

COMPLETE AIP NEGOTIATIONS. FINAL DOCUMENTS WILL BE BROUGHT TO TE'MEXW COMMUNITIES FOR APPROVAL.

EACH NATION DETERMINES PROCESS FOR INPUT AND APPROVAL.

FINAL AGREEMENT GOES TO EACH TE'MEXW FIRST NATION FOR APPROVAL

CANADA, BC AND EACH NATION MUST APPROVE DOCUMENT BEFORE IT BECOMES LEGALLY BINDING

IMPLEMENTATION OF FINAL AGREEMENT.

IMPLEMENTATION DATE APPROXIMATE BECAUSE IT IS DEPENDENT ON APPROVAL / LEGISLATIVE PROCESS