Nations set out protocol on business relationship

A partnership has been forged between two B.C. First Nations that could see them benefit from future joint development projects destined within their overlapping territories.

The economic-based protocol agreement, signed Sept. 26, will provide the Sts’ailes [Chehalis band] and the X’xtsa [Douglas First Nation] with ensured certainty and stability when it comes to economic development ventures, say nations’ chiefs.

The First Nations are located in B.C.’s upper Fraser Valley between the towns of Mission and Agassiz. The larger Sts’ailes band is situated in and around Harrison Lake proper, while the smaller Douglas First Nation community is located at the northern head of little Harrison Lake and the mouth of Lillooet River.

The protocol mandate includes a commitment that ‘Sts’ailesand Xa’xtsa will work together in the spirit of collaboration, mutual recognition and respect regarding the future welfare and economic stability of their communities.

“It [the agreement] identifies our economic development boundaries and how we will work together under economic ventures for future projects,” said Douglas First Nation Chief Don Harris.

“It provides more certainty for our proponents that come in,” he continued. “The protocol considered our history and expanded our future” he added.

“It recognizes each other’s claim to land,” confirmed Sts’ailes Chief Willie Charlie.

“It also provides certainty with the handling of our referrals from the province and provides a more streamlined process,” he added.

The agreement will strengthen relationships historically forged through the band’s established connections regarding intermarriage, shared territories, and common traditional customs,” Charlie added.

Asked how the economic benefits of potential future business ventures will be distributed within the two bands, and Harris said a formula has been created.

He said the two bands have drawn an “imaginary line” between their territories to distinguish possible future benefits derived through successful economic development projects.

Capital benefits and percentage of revenue distributed between the bands will be determined through who has taken the lead in a project, who has invested the most capital and whose land the venture is most situated on as determined through territorial boundaries initiated by the bands themselves, say the chiefs.
Furthermore, any and all economic development plans currently underway will not be included as future joint-ventures.

The chiefs say their communities will only stand to benefit through future projects executed under the collaborative business plan.

“We don’t see any downsides right now,” said Harris, when asked if he had any concerns regarding the partnership. “We will have to wait and see,” he said.

But Harris admitted that the process to the partnership wasn’t an easy one.

“It took a long time to come to an agreement,” said Harris. “There were a lot of concerns about rights and culture,” he added.

Harris said the band’s agreement will not impact anything other than possible economic ventures.

But the Sts’ailes say that the partnership is about more than economic growth.

“I think it goes beyond economic development,” said Charlie, adding that the band’s fishery and other traditional and cultural harvesting practices are interwoven in land use planning.

In November 2011, the Sts’ailes signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] with the province of BC to provide certainty over the use of their lands and natural resources and community.

In the agreement the province acknowledged the band’s right and title as stewards of the land within their territorial boundaries.
Because the band is not engaged in the treaty process, Charlie said it was imperative that the band find a way to secure title over their territory.
Charlie said the protocol agreement between the Sts’ailes and X’xtsa honors one of the strategies outlined in the MOU.
Although the agreement was never brought to an official vote among membership, Charlie said the plan was discussed within a membership forum and brought to a Sts’ailes Elders’ committee for consideration.
“Our Elders thought it was a good idea as long as we didn’t give up our traditional territory,” said Charlie.
“It is now up to our leadership bodies to continue to set this positive direction for mutual growth and prosperity,” he added.
Charlie called the agreement an “ historical footprint,’ and said he predicts that other non-treaty B.C. First Nations will be engaging in similar types of economic land use partnerships in the future
“It’s a template that can be used by other First Nations to gain certainty over the land,” he said.