Nasoga Gulf question, Economic Development and reconciliation discussions among the themes for Community Information sessions ahead for Lax Kw'alaams Members

A number of items will be on the agenda for two Community Information sessions to be held for Lax Kw'alaams members this week, with sessions planned both Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

During the upcoming community meetings, Band officials are set to discuss ongoing themes of Reconciliation and Economic Development with the Provincial government, as well as to provide members with an update on the Nasoga Gulf Dispute.

The latter issue, has been a long running disagreement between members of North Coast First Nations over some disputed territory with the Nisga'a Lisims Government and that government's attempts to purchase provincial crown land in the area of the Portland Canal at Nasoga Gulf.

A move which if it were to move ahead would enlarge the Nisga'a Treaty land base and also provide the Nisga'a Lisims Government with the opportunity to develop an industrial footprint to attract larger projects.

At one point, the Nisga'a Lisims Government had indicated that it might consider developing an LNG terminal for the area in question, opening up the area to further shipping traffic.

The Nasoga Gulf (in purple) is an area of dispute between
a number of First Nations
(Map from Gov't of Canada website)

In early 2016, the Nisga'a Lisims Government and the provincial government had continued to work an agreement on the sale of the Crown land along Portland Inlet, however no further action has taken place on that proposed sale, as other First Nations of the region, including the Lax Kw'alaams disputed the process that was underway.

Last March the Lax Kw'alaams Band took both the Federal and Provincial governments to court over an Aboriginal claim of title a rights over a wide swath of land from Grassy Point to the Khutzeymateen Inlet and Nass River area.

That lawsuit is part of the Lax Kw'alaams Band's efforts to have the federal government's oil tanker ban stopped, with the Band calling the currently stalled government legislation an unjustified infringement on aboriginal rights and title.

The Wednesday sessions will take place at the Elders Lodge at Lax Kw'alaams from 1 until 4 in the afternoon and again from 6 to 8PM in the evening.

The Thursday session is being held in the evening in Prince Rupert, with the meeting to get underway at 6:30 in the BC Room of the Crest Hotel.

The meetings are open only to those who are members of the Lax Kw'alaams Band.

For more items of note on the meeting see the Lax Kw'alaams website or Facebook page.

A look at some of our past items of interest can be found from our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.