Vancouver – The First Nations Leadership Council comprised of the leadership of the three major B.C. First Nation organizations agree that today’s Supreme Court decisions will not affect current political negotiations or court cases dealing with forestry and logging issues in British Columbia.
Grand Chief Edward John, a member of the First Nations Summit Political Executive said after reviewing the decisions: “Today’s Marshall and Bernard decisions will not affect political or legal issues in British Columbia with respect to commercial logging. These decisions do not establish new legal principles. They are based on the facts about the Mi’kmaq people’s relationships to the Crown and to particular portions of their territory in the 1760’s.”
“The Court’s rejection of a Mi’kmaq treaty right to log will not affect First Nations in B.C. because such a treaty right is not asserted in B.C. since the federal and provincial governments refused to negotiate treaties here until very recently. And in the few exceptions to that, the Douglas Treaties and Treaty 8 have no trade clauses like the one considered in today’s decisions”, added Chief John.