In a process that took over 30 years, members of the Kistelas First Nation voted in favour of their Treaty and self-governing Constitution during a ratification vote on April 10, 2025.

With the Treaty, Kitselas has become a self-governing nation, no longer controlled by Canada's Indian Act, which was passed in 1876 without consultation with the Indigenous peoples that lived on the land known today as Canada. The Kitselas were self-governing long before Europeans arrived to Canada.

96.4 per cent of eligible voters voted on the Treaty and Constitution, while 85 per cent voted 'yes' on the Treaty and 81 per cent voted 'yes' on the Constitution, all of which met the double majority voting requirement.

"Our Members have made their voice heard, and now we are taking control of our future," said Chief Councillor Glenn Bennett. "This agreement gives us ownership of our land, the right to govern ourselves, and better programs and services for our People. Freed from the constraints of the Indian Act, we can make decisions that reflect Kitselas Way-who we are and what we want for our community. This is a new beginning, and it will help us build a better future for generations to come.鈥�

Enroled Kitselas citizens will now be able to vote in elections, receive Treaty benefits and exercise Treaty rights, run for elected office, attend the annual Kitselas Peoples' Assembly, and enjoy rights and freedoms described in their Constitution.

Kitselas will receive over $9 million to implement the Treaty. The funding will be used for initiatives like drafting laws, hiring new staff, and preparing for the Effective Date.

The nation will also receive a $140 million capital transfer, which can be used for new programming and opportunities to create economic stability. Existing programming will still be funded through the Province of B.C. and Government of Canada, and the interest from the cash settlement (around $5 million a year) can be used to enhance their existing programs.

Members enroled in the Treaty will receive a portion of the cash settlement. Minors will have their money put in a trust until they are 18.

Kitselas will receive 95,000 acres as (TSL).

Over 30 years of negotiations, 10 years of planning and four years of engagement went towards the decision made on April 10, 2025. The process began in 1993, the Agreement-in-Principle was ratified in 2013 and the Treaty was initiated in 2024.

鈥淐ongratulations to the Kitselas First Nation on reaching a milestone that has been decades in the making. This decision to vote in favour of ratifying the Kitselas Treaty and Constitution is one that generations of Kitselas people have worked towards, and today is a day to celebrate and honour all of them," said Christine Boyle, the B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

Kitselas had a team dedicated to help members make an informed vote. Dr. David Try, senior Treaty negotiator, led a Treaty Team of 11 comprised of: Bonita Mercer-Young, Joan Mason, Crystal Wright, Zoe Bevan, Matilda Henry, Clarisa Spencer, Jodie McKay, Sharon Nabess, Brianna Anderson, Mary Lou Starrett, and Evelyn Bolton.

In the last year alone, the Kitselas Treaty Team planned, organized, and executed over to ensure all Kitselas Members, and eligible non-Members, could make an informed vote on the Treaty and Constitution.

鈥淭his is true reconciliation in action," shared Try. "The Kitselas Treaty Team, together with [the Canadian] and B.C. governments, have negotiated for over three decades to ensure a fair Treaty settlement for the Kitselas People. More importantly, the Kitselas People have worked together to establish a Constitution that will now govern the Kitselas First Nation and its Members.鈥�

Next steps

The federal and B.C. governments will now undergo their own respective ratification approval processes, which includes passing provincial, and then federal treaty implementation legislation to bring it into law. If ratified by all three parties, the effective date for the treaty is anticipated for 2028.

"The Province remains firmly committed to taking this path alongside the Kitselas people," said Boyle.