TFN Chief Kim Baird gets a hug from a supporter Wednesday night, following the ratification vote

No runners, no canoes, and no smoke signals.

Tsawwassen First Nation entered the 21st Century by text messaging.

Wednesday night, a clutch of reporters with notebooks, cameras and microphones had gathered beyond a barricade about 100 yards from the reserve’s recreation centre where band members had been voting all day. Inside, a small group of TFN members were waiting to hear the results. Just after 9 p.m., the sound of drums and a rhythmic chant floated out the front doors, and a few moments later, a group of well-wishers outside the band office shocked reporters with a unanimous chorus.

“Yeehah!”

Among them was Judith Sayers, chief of Hupacasath First Nation on Vancouver Island, also an executive on the First Nations Summit. She’d received word from inside—as had about a dozen others—via a text message from TFN Chief Kim Baird.

“They said ‘yes’ an overwhelming 70 per cent,” Sayers said.

Rebuilding a community

The treaty had been ratified. The Tsawwassen People had voted 130-50 in favour of a document that would grant them 724 hectares of land, $18 million in cash and a portion of the commercial salmon fishery. As well, the Indian Act would no longer apply to TFN members, removing any tax benefits.

It is the first, and arguably most important of the three votes that will enact the treaty. The provincial government is expected to table legislation in the fall, and a vote in Ottawa could occur as early as spring 2008.

Chief Baird, who has been involved with the Tsawwassen Treaty negotiations from its inception in 1993, was beaming as she said a few words following the official announcement of the numbers.

“I’m very ecstatic that there’s such strong support,” she said of the wide margin—only 50 per cent plus one was required.

“I’m exceptionally relieved.”

Earlier, TFN Elder Ruth Adams had rushed out of the recreation centre and thrust her hands in the air, smiling broadly and almost dancing.

“We made it,” she shouted. “Yes.”

Adams echoed the sentiments of other band members who called it a historic day for TFN.

“I feel good for my ancestors who couldn’t do this, and for my grandchildren who can be proud of who they are,” she said. “Now we can get down to business and play a part.”

Meantime, two of Adams’ teenaged granddaughters came up to give her a big hug, before rushing shyly away.

“Remember children, you’ve got to learn to speak to the public,” she added, to laughter.

Despite 14 years and millions of dollars spent on treaty negotiations, Baird says the real work will now begin.

“We have to rebuild our community,” Baird said.

And that means beginning work this fall on a long-term community plan, with a key aspect being economic development.

“The treaty allows us to get water for economic purposes, which has been a huge obstacle for development,” she said, in reference to a long-running battle between TFN and the Corporation of Delta.

“We will be able to be independent and autonomous, and active participants in the provincial economy.”

Delta Mayor Lois Jackson said she looked forward to continuing a relationship with the band, but added she still has some concerns over the transfer of agricultural land within the treaty to industrial use.

“I think that once all the dust settles and things come back into balance, we will obviously be talking to the band as we would with any other neighbour relative to issues such as streets and emergency planning.”

Coming to the GVRD table

One of the first TFN members to arrive at the polls Wednesday morning was Tammy Williams.

“A key part of this will be becoming a member of the GVRD,” she said. “And that will mean getting access to sewer and water, something that has been denied us in the past.”

Williams sees the vote as pivotal in the rebirth for her community.

Casting his ballot a few minutes later was former TFN chief Tony Jacobs, who is optimistic of new opportunities.

“With the chance to determine our own future, I can see a lot of our people coming back to the reserve to live,” Jacobs said.

His wife Charlene also hopes an economic boost will also promote the preservation of the TFN’s culture and language, known as Halkomelem.

“Before, there was never enough set aside for that sort of thing,” she said. “Now that we will be given the chance to be economically self sufficient, the preservation and promotion of our culture will be part of that.”

Nisga’a inspired

But the treaty is not without critics—on and off reserve.

“I think the biggest loser in the whole thing will be the Tsawwassen people themselves, because of the deal they have with the Vancouver Port Authority to stack containers on their land and a rail marshaling yard,” said Delta-Richmond East MP John Cummins.

And before the vote, outspoken critic and former chief Bertha Williams had accused the provincial government of vote-buying, by offering $15,000 “treaty bonus” to TFN members 60 years and older, as well as flying 40 TFN members to see post-treaty life at Nisga’a First Nation.

But Tim Lorenz said the Nisga’a trip was a valuable experience.

“It definitely inspired me,” said the 24-year-old TFN member. Lorenz said he was particularly impressed with the job opportunites in that northern community, which are virtually non-existent locally.

“I think after all this waiting it will be worth it.”

More than $1 billion has been spent negotiating treaties in B.C., and recently, impatience has grown among First Nations groups and non-natives alike to see results.

Chief federal negotiator Tim Koepke said Wednesday’s ratification—and the Tsawwassen Treaty itself—”certainly endorses the concept that good agreements can be reached.”

Judith Sayers, the Port Alberni-area chief, agrees.

“The writing is on the wall,” she says. “Things are changing in B.C. First Nations issues are going to be resolved.”

“I’m excited to be here to witness history tonight.”

TFN members take a bold leap into their future.

Chris Bryan and Philip Raphael
Black Press
published on 07/27/2007

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