Why the rush to sign a Treaty?
There is no rush to sign a Treaty. The Treaty team is committed to taking the necessary time to properly represent K’ómoks First Nation in Treaty negotiations with BC and Canada, and to ensure the members are fully informed. K’ómoks has been in the Treaty process since 1993. K’ómoks will be receiving a land and cash offer on January 21, 2009, we expect that negotiations around land and cash and other parts of the Agreement in Principle (AIP) will be concluded before the end of 2009. If community members agree with the AIP, we would then proceed to Final Agreement negotiations, and this could take several years. Every day, Crown land is sold to private owners and every day newcomers are taking advantage of our resources and every day that leaves the K’ómoks First Nation with less lands and resources. Because of this, achieving a fair settlement will be more difficult as time goes on. There is an urgency around protecting our lands and resources.
