Rights and Title Department
shíshálh First Nation seeks to preserve and protect:
- shíshálh rights and title;
- Lands critical to our culture;
- Ecosystems necessary for maintaining biodiversity;
- Heritage resources;
- Health and well-being of our future generations;
Proactive Planning
In light of the growing development pressures in our territory and that the provincial government is unwilling to delegate the resources necessary to reach consultation and accommodation agreements with the Nation, we are taking steps to be more proactive:
- Negotiating protocol agreements with development proponents and some local government;
- Securing funding to do our own studies before projects go ahead;
- Continuing to collect information on land and resources.
The shíshálh Nation Council commits to exercising and seeking reconciliation of shíshálh 's Aboriginal Title and Rights within shíshálh Territory, including the:
- Right to choose the purposes for which the land will be used;
- Right to use the land and its resources;
- Right to benefit from the land and its resources;
- Right to harvest and use the resources of the water and lands of our Territory;
- Right to continue to exercise, teach and pass on our laws, traditions, and customs in accordance with our traditions; and
- Inherent Right of Self Government and self-determination; and
- Responsibilities associated with all of the above.
shíshálh Nation Council sets the following objectives:
- Incremental sharing of responsibilities with Federal and Provincial Crown Governments, including local governments, for government planning and management of resources within their Territory - including shared/collaborative management and decision making;
- Incremental sharing of benefits and revenue with Federal and Provincial Crown Governments, including local governments, for land and resource use within the Territory - including increased access to the land and resources, and increased sharing of government revenue;
- Increased capacity within shíshálh government to provide services;
- Increased capacity within shíshálh community to develop sustainable thriving future;
- Protection of important cultural, spiritual and ecological places within our Territory;
- Compensation for past infringements; and
- Meaningful Engagement towards reaching an agreement of mutual respect and understanding, including incremental treaty arrangements.
Consultation
We must be consulted, accommodated and our interests must be addressed by the crown regarding all proposed activities within shíshálh territory that may impact on shíshálh title and rights, at the earliest stage, before the issuance or approval of any plans, licenses, permits or other authorization is awarded. With recent legal and political decisions we have an opportunity to have a greater say in what happens in our territory. The completion of a legal strategy, a land use plan as well as policy and guidelines are important steps forward.
