Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia and the First Nations Summit (the Principals) -signed the “Principals’ Accord” that states that extinguishment and surrender of rights have no place in modern-day Crown-Indigenous relations or agreements. Instead, the federal and provincial governments and First Nations Summit have agreed that Aboriginal title and rights must be continued through treaties, as well as other types of agreements.
- The Accord states that the Principals respect the right of each First Nation to select its own pathway to exercising self-determination and whether it pursues reconciliation with the provincial and federal governments through treaties or other types of agreements and arrangements.
- The Accord affirms that treaty negotiations and implementation must reflect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.
- The Accord demonstrates the Principals’ commitment to transformative change beyond the recommendations set out in the 2016 Multilateral Engagement Process to Improve and Expedite Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia.