Overview
The Treaty Commission is the independent body responsible for facilitating treaty negotiations among the governments of Canada, BC and First Nations in BC. The Treaty Commission does not negotiate treaties-that is done by the three parties at each negotiation table.
The Treaty Commission and the treaty negotiations process were established in 1992 by agreement among Canada, BC and the First Nations Summit. They are guided by those agreements and the 1991 Report of the BC Claims Task Force, which is the blueprint for the made-in-BC treaty process. The Treaty Commission and the six-stage treaty negotiations process were designed to advance negotiations and facilitate fair and durable treaties.
The Treaty Commission's primary role is to oversee the negotiation process to make sure that the parties are being effective and making progress in negotiations. In carrying out the recommendations of the BC Claims Task Force, the Treaty Commission has three roles: facilitation, funding and public information and education
Mission Statement
The BCTC acts independently to:
- Lobby and advocate for improvements to the treaty negotiation process
- Educate and raise knowledge and comprehension levels regarding the benefits of treaty making
- Allocate funds to First Nations to support negotiations
- Dedicate energy and resources to treaty making through active and effective facilitation of government-government-government negotiations
