Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Do you want to answer?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. First of all, as a commission, we're called the keeper of the process, so it's our role to ensure that the process that has been formed, the six stages that I described, is being followed and that the negotiations are on a fairly level table—we know it's never going to be a level table--and that those negotiations go forward.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  With respect to B.C.'s mandating, its focus now is more and more turning toward bilateral agreements, and that is going to have a direct effect on the tripartite negotiations. So we are reminding B.C.—and it was said in the throne speech—that while B.C. wants to have immediate economic benefits flow to first nations through these bilateral agreements, they must recognize that it has to tie back into a treaty.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's a six-stage process, so it would have started anywhere after 1993. That is when the commission first started accepting a statement of intent, which is the first step. So a first nation puts forward a statement to say they intend to negotiate a treaty. They describe their people.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Sure. I'll give a brief answer, and then I'll ask my colleague, Commissioner Haggard, to speak to some specific examples where he's been involved. Specifically, in terms of the Yale treaty and its impact on the Stó:lo people, the first point is that the fishing sites that are contentious are those that were part of the Yale Indian Band when the Indian reserve was formed.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We're looking for mandates that are clear, that are wide enough to accommodate negotiators who are closers, negotiators who know how to negotiate and how to close a deal. We have a couple of those people in British Columbia, but they need to have the ability to move forward, so that they are not always being forced to bring everything back into the system.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In regard to the other matters you describe, things like the land code...the land code refers to Indian reserve lands. It's good, because, again, it's like the bilateral agreements, where we describe it as a stepping stone. If you can be a good manager of your little Indian reserve lands, then when you have treaty settlement lands you can translate what you've learned managing Indian reserve lands to the greater land base.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Oh yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. Thank you very much for inviting the BC Treaty Commission to come and make this presentation to you. We really appreciate this opportunity. As was indicated, we just came from a meeting with the Senate standing committee on aboriginal affairs, so we apologize for being a little breathless getting here.