Maa-nulth Treaty Ratified
The Maa-nulth First Nations are five Nuu-chah-nulth-speaking Indigenous peoples located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The journey to once again become self-governing has been long and difficult. For over 150 years Canada denied any Aboriginal right to self-government. In 1982 with the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution, Aboriginal identity and rights became constitutionally-protected in Canada. Since much of British Columbia is not under treaty, the substance of these now-protected identities and rights required clarification and the BC Treaty Commission was established in 1992. Negotiations between the Maa-nulth, Canada and British Columbia through the BC Treaty Process, with Gary Yabsley as lead negotiator, culminated with ratification of a Final Agreement on April 9, 2009. The Maa-nulth Final Agreement was only the second treaty to be ratified through the BC Treaty Process and was the first multi-nation treaty. On April 1, 2011 the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, in recognition and affirmation of Maa-nulth’s inherent right to self-government, came into effect and since that date Brent Lehmann has been leading the team of Ratcliff lawyers assisting Maa-nulth in exercising and benefiting from their treaty rights.