Members of the Tsawwassen First Nation voted 130-50 to approve the first urban treaty in British Columbia.
The First Nation will receive $40 million, a share of the Fraser River salmon catch, about 919 acres of land and $16 million in government programs. The total value of the deal is about $120 million.
Band members will give up their tax exempt status as part of the deal. "Not paying taxes was the only thing that still showed we had a special status in Canada. It's a huge thing to be giving up," elder Ruth Adams, a treaty supporter, told the Globe and Mail.
Get the Story:Tsawwassen First Nation approves first urban treaty (CBC 7/26)
Aboriginals say treaty vote raises hope for future (The Guelph Mecury 7/26)
Tsawwassen First Nation accept treaty terms (The Globe and Mail 7/26)
Tsawwassen approve first urban treaty (The Vancouver Sun 7/26) $rl Tsawwassen First Nation - http://www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com
B.C. Treaty Commission - http://www.bctreaty.net
