(Coast Salish Traditional Territory/Vancouver, BC) — The First Nations Summit is perplexed and appalled by media reports of the Metro Vancouver Board’s plans to seek a court ruling regarding the constitutional validity of a recent agreement whereby the Province of BC returned a portion of Musqueam traditional territory back to the Musqueam First Nation.
“The lands negotiated within the Musqueam Reconciliation, Settlement and Benefits Agreement are within ancient traditional territory of Musqueam people. There is no valid reason why these lands should not be returned to the Musqueam people under this agreement especially considering the lands in question are part of a settlement arising out of a court case in which the court found in favour of the Musqueam. Municipalities clearly should not be able to intervene in these settlements”, said Chief Judith Sayers of the First Nations Summit political executive.
“In fact, this agreement only reflects a fraction of the compensation due to the Musqueam people. The Musqueam must still be fully and properly compensated, through treaty agreements or other agreeable negotiations, for those lands within their traditional territory which cannot or will not be returned by the Crown”.