A unanimous vote to abandon the British Columbia Treaty Commission (BCTC) at last week’s Treaty Forum held on the Nak’azdli Reserve, near Fort St. James, has some members of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC) upset.

In Canada, Aboriginal Peoples and various Pre-Confederation and Post-Confederation governments have concluded 68 major treaties. These treaties cover most of Ontario, the Prairie Provinces; and parts of Vancouver Island, Northwest Territories, and Atlantic Canada. In Quebec, there were Treaties of Peace and Friendship; however, these treaties were usually not written down, and are therefore not included.

The Historical Indian Treaties Time Line shows in chronological order a selection of the major treaties, from the first Peace and Friendship Treaty in 1725 to the 1930 Adhesions to Treaty 9.

This is a transcript of Treaty of 1725 for Ratification at Annapolis Royal [Treaty no. 239]. Also known as the Treaty of 1725 or Dummer's Treaty. There are two original copies of this treaty, one in England at the Public Record Office (PRO) as CO217 v.4 no. 349, and the other is held by the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM). This volume is available at NSARM on microfilm reels 13842-3. There are additional transcripts and copies in CO 217.

This Maritime Peace and Friendship Treaty called the  Treaty or Articles of Peace and Friendship Renewed 1752 contains aboriginal treaty rights that have been recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal people of Canada, including the Peace and Friendship Treaties. This means that since 1982 treaty rights are protected by Canada's Constitution.

Here is a transcript of the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1760.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine is pleased to announce that residential school survivors are officially eligible to apply and receive a Common Experience Payment, now that the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement has been finalized.  Survivors are also entitled to apply for the Independent Assessment Program (IAP) for compensation for serious abuses experienced during their time spent at residential schools.