First Nations Summit

First Nations Summit
Name	First Nations Summit
Formation	1992
Headquarters	Vancouver, British Columbia
Region served	British Columbia
Membership	Chiefs of First Nations in British Columbia
Leader title	Executive Director

First Nations Summit is a political organization representing chiefs of First Nations in British Columbia who have signed or are negotiating land claims and treaty negotiations under the British Columbia Treaty Process. Formed in 1992 after the Delgamuukw v British Columbia era and the constitutional debates following the Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord, the Summit coordinates positions among Assembly of First Nations, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, and diverse First Nations governments across Vancouver Island, the Interior Plateau, the Lower Mainland, and the North Coast.

History

The Summit emerged from negotiations linked to the B.C. Treaty Commission and the aftermath of the 1990 Oka Crisis, the legal momentum of Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General), and the decision in R v Sparrow. Founding meetings in 1992 involved leaders from Sto:lo Nation, Tsilhqot'in Nation, Gitxsan, Wet'suwet'en, and Haida Nation who sought a common voice during the British Columbia Treaty Process. Over time the Summit interacted with federal policies shaped by the Constitution Act, 1982, responses to Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and provincial initiatives under premiers such as Mike Harcourt and Glen Clark. The Summit's history includes participation in treaty milestones, reactions to the Nisga'a Treaty, engagement with the Supreme Court of Canada rulings including Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, and public advocacy connected to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Structure and Membership

The Summit is governed by a table of elected First Nations chiefs comprising representatives from treaty negotiation tables across British Columbia. Member chiefs represent nations such as Squamish Nation, Musqueam Indian Band, Tsimshian societies, and Cowichan Tribes, coordinating with organizations like the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, Nisga'a Lisims Government, and regional tribal councils including the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. Administrative functions are managed from offices in Vancouver, with staff interacting with legal teams that have appeared before courts like the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. The Summit's internal rules reference models used by bodies such as the Assembly of First Nations and protocols found in agreements with the B.C. Treaty Commission.

Objectives and Functions

The Summit's objectives include advancing collective interests of negotiating First Nations, coordinating strategy on land titles and aboriginal rights, and promoting socio-economic priorities for nations such as Haida Gwaii communities, Ktunaxa Nation members, and northern groups like the Yukon First Nations in interprovincial contexts. Functions encompass advocacy before institutions such as the Parliament of Canada, participation in treaty rounds facilitated by the B.C. Treaty Commission, support for litigation in the Supreme Court of Canada, and engagement with international bodies like the United Nations. The Summit provides technical assistance in areas including resource agreements with companies like BC Hydro, consultation frameworks used in projects like the Northern Gateway proposals, and policy coordination relevant to statutes like the Indian Act and provincial statutes in British Columbia.

Political and Legal Activities

Politically, the Summit has issued positions on provincial legislation under premiers including John Horgan and Christy Clark, intervened in cases before courts such as Delgamuukw v British Columbia and Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, and coordinated submissions to inquiries like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Legally, the Summit has supported litigation strategies led by nations appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada, collaborated with law firms and academics from institutions like the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, and negotiated Agreements-in-Principle in multi-party tables. The Summit also engages in political mobilization during federal initiatives from the Department of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and provincial processes involving ministries of energy and forests.

Relationships with Governments and Organizations

The Summit maintains relations with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia through mechanisms established by the B.C. Treaty Commission, and interacts with Indigenous organizations including the Assembly of First Nations, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, and regional bodies such as the Island Tribal Council. It negotiates issues affecting corporations like Teck Resources and Crown corporations such as BC Hydro, while participating in consultations tied to projects under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and provincial regulatory agencies including the Oil and Gas Commission (British Columbia). Internationally, the Summit engages with forums connected to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and networks of Indigenous organizations across the Pacific Northwest and Arctic regions.

Controversies and Criticisms

The Summit has faced criticism from some member nations and groups like the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs over perceived compromises in treaty negotiations and relations with the B.C. Treaty Commission, and scrutiny regarding transparency in decision-making similar to debates involving the Nisga'a Final Agreement. Critics have pointed to tensions between elected chiefs affiliated with the Summit and hereditary leadership in nations such as the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en, echoing disputes seen in other Indigenous contexts like the Sixties Scoop redress discussions and controversies involving resource consent processes like the Northern Gateway debate. Debates about fiscal arrangements recall disputes involving federal programs administered by departments such as the Department of Indigenous Services Canada.

Category:Indigenous organizations in British Columbia