The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) has condemned a 鈥渕isleading and factually incorrect鈥� March 22 statement from the BC United Caucus which criticized a recently drafted Haida Title Land Agreement.

The FNLC said BC United鈥檚 statement 鈥� which called for an immediate pause in land title talks 鈥� politicized First Nations peoples鈥� human rights as outlined by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

鈥淩ather than seeking to deny First Nations our most basic human rights, in clear violation of domestic and international law, we encourage all British Columbians to stand with us in celebrating the current provincial government and the Haida Nation鈥檚 tremendous accomplishment,鈥� read a March 25 from the FNLC, which is made up of members from the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit (FNS), and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

BC United鈥檚 statement argued the Haida Title Land Agreement would deter private investment across the province.

鈥淏y advancing an agreement that stretches beyond the constitution and established legal precedents, this government is fostering a climate of uncertainty that will deter investment and destabilize the land base across our province,鈥� read the March 22 from Leader Kevin Falcon and Michael Lee, BC United Shadow Minister for Attorney General and Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation.

The FNLC denied BC United鈥檚 claim, pointing to a released by the provincial government which said no private property would be affected by the land agreement.

Falcon and Lee said the agreement between the province and the Haida Nation was made behind closed doors and lacked public transparency.

鈥淭he NDP鈥檚 approach, shrouded in secrecy and lacking broad public consultation, is not in keeping with the spirit of reconciliation or the public interest, which demands open, honest dialogue and a commitment to finding solutions that respect the interests of all parties involved,鈥� BC United鈥檚 statement read.

The FNLC said the agreement would be beneficial for the entire province, saying it would offer clarity in what are frequently murky land disputes in the courts and in public protests.

鈥淚t allows all British Columbians, and not just large corporations, to plan for the future of this province while enjoying both the wealth and natural beauty of B.C.,鈥� the FNLC said.

BC United said the draft agreement harms the whole of B.C. and undermines the province鈥檚 legal system.

鈥淭hey have chosen to disregard the nuanced balance of rights and responsibilities that form the bedrock of our legal system,鈥� Falcon and Lee said.

鈥淭his draft agreement clearly demonstrates the NDP Government鈥檚 continuous failure to prioritize the public interest of all British Columbians.鈥�

The NDP government鈥檚 proposed changes to the B.C. Land Act 鈥� which the province said were designed to align with UNDRIP 鈥� were paused in February after sharp criticism from BC United.

The FNLC the province鈥檚 pause in February, saying the changes became overly politicized.

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