On October 13, the Government of Canada offered to negotiate Tla’amin Nation’s Tis’kwat-specific claim in the qathet region.
According to a media release from Tla’amin, the claim is more than 20 years in the making and is centred on the illegal purchase of lot 450, which includes Tis’kwat.
“I feel overcome with emotion today,” stated Tla'amin hegus John Hackett. “Our ancestors were illegally removed from Tis’kwat almost 150 years ago. Seven generations of Tla’amin people have fought to restore our responsibility to the big river and we are the generation that has the chance to correct this historic wrong.”
Tla’amin Executive Council signed an executive order on October 18 accepting Canada’s offer to negotiate. The order directs staff to begin negotiations immediately, the release stated.
Executive council member Dillon Johnson stated that Tla’amin has developed plans for Tis’kwat that balance social, cultural, environmental and economic values.
“A lot of harm has been done to the land,” stated Johnson. “Our plans seek to reverse that harm in a careful and responsible way. Canada’s recognition of our rightful ownership at Tis’kwat is an important step toward that. We look forward to a fast and fair negotiations process so that we may resume our rightful relationship with this place.”
The released stated that the Tla’amin people were forcibly removed from Tis’kwat by the government in the late 1880s. The river adjacent to the Tla’amin settlement was dammed, eradicating one of the richest salmon runs on the south coast of British Columbia, upon which the Tla’amin people relied, according to the release. The dam provided power to the large pulp and paper mill constructed on the site in the early 1900s.
The mill was a major economic force in the region for over 100 years, providing jobs and significant tax revenue for local governments. It ceased operations in 2021, and the owner, Paper Excellence, announced on August 16 the permanent curtailment of mill operations. The site is currently for sale.
Read the history of Tis’kwat here: tlaaminnation.com/deception-delays-and-theft-the-truth-about-tiskwat-you-wont-find-in-history-books.
Learn about Tla’amin specific claims in progress here: services.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/scbri_e/main/reportingcentre/external/externalreporting.aspx.
Read Tla’amin’s joint statement of commitment with qathet Regional District here: tlaaminnation.com/strongtlaamin-nation-and-qathet-regional-district-release-joint-statement-on-the-future-of-tisksupw-supat-former-mill-site-strong.
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