Coastal First Nations seek province to engage in Nasoga Gulf controversy

Lax Kw'alaams and Metlakatla are seeking dialogue with the
provincial government over a long running dispute related to the
Nasoga Gulf area of the Portland Inlet area

A follow up today, related to our notes of Tuesday on the Community Information meetings hosted by the Lax Kw'alaams Band Council this week, where the topic of the ongoing dispute over the Nasoga Gulf was to be discussed with members.

Yesterday, the Lax Kw'alaams and Metlakatla First Nation made their first public comments on the issue in a while, taking out a full page advertisement in the weekly newspaper to further advise the public on their side of the ongoing story and to issue a call for more engagement from the provincial government.

As we outlined on Tuesday, the issue dates back a number of years and an original plan from the province to sell a portion of land between the Nass Valley and Lax Kw'alaams to the Nisga'a Lisims Government,

The area in question is known as the Nasoga Gulf, and it is an area that the Nisga'a government had identified as one for potential industrial development.

In their advertisement of Thursday, the Nine Tribes of the Coast Tsimshian make note of their long standing use of the resources and lands of the area, including the Nasoga Gulf lands.

As part of their information campaign the outline how they strongly oppose any transfer of their land and their plans to defend the area vigorously, noting how it would cause irreparable harm and unjustifiably infringe on their Aboriginal title, as well as to undermine provincial reconciliation with the Nine Tribes of the Coast Tsimshian.

The notice in the paper further observes that they have proposed a path forward that would provide for a mutually beneficial alternative to the proposed land transfer, which would be of benefit to all parties involved, adding that their solution does not involve the transfer of the Nasoga Gulf Lands to the Nisga'a Nation.

However, they also make note that to this point their call for engagement with province of British Columbia has not found much success.

"We have shared our proposed solution with the Provincial Government, but it has fallen on deaf ears. In fact, neither the Minster of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Scott Fraser nor the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Doug Donaldson will meet with us. Let's prevent this government form repeating the mistakes of the past.  Let's work together and build a collaborative and mutually beneficial future fall in the region and for B.C."

So far there has been no comment from any of the Ministers noted in their information notice of Thursday, nor has North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice issued any statement or update on the issue through her range of information options.

To further outline their position on the Nasoga Gulf issue, the Nine Tribes of the Coastal First Nations will be taking part in an information blockade along Highway 16 from 11 AM to 1 PM today in the area of the Kasiks River Bridge. 

At their information blockade, members of the Metlakatla First Nation and Lax Kw'alaams Band will be providing more background on the dispute to those travelling on the highway.

Mayor John Helin and Chief Councillor Harold Leighton have also taken their message province wide, with an Op-Ed page contribution yesterday posted to the Vancouver Province website.

The two local leaders expand further on the issue listed in their local advertisement and express their concern over the lack of engagement from the province and call the attempt to sell the Nasoga Gulf lands as a betrayal to First Nations by the NDP.

You can review that contribution to the information campaign here.

More background on notes of interest from all three First Nations governments can be found from our archives below.

Lax Kw'alaams 

Metlakatla

Nisga'a Lisims/Nass Valley




Cross posted from the North Coast Review.