B.C. coastal First Nations Mineral Act appeal gets Indigenous, civil liberties support – Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
January 22, 2025
FNLC and BCCLA stand with Gitxaala and Ehattesaht Nations in upholding the process of legislative reconciliation
The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) have affirmed support for the Gitxaala and Ehattesaht First Nations during the hearing for the Nations’ appeal regarding the province’s Mineral Tenure Act on Jan. 20.
The FNLC and the BCCLA are joint intervenors in the Nations’ appeal due to the importance of fulfilling the province’s commitments in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act and aligning with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“The provincial Mineral Tenure Act is not consistent with the Declaration, and the Declaration Act requires the province to work with First Nations to take all necessary measures to ensure the Mineral Tenure Act to address that inconsistency,” said BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee in a press release from the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs on Jan. 20.
