UNION OF B. C. INDIAN CHIEFS PLAIN LANGUAGE GUIDE TO THE NISGA'A AGREEMENT

8/13/2019 UNION OF B. C. INDIAN CHIEFS PLAIN LANGUAGE GUIDE TO THE NISGA'A AGREEMENT

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UNION OF B . C . INDIAN CHIEFSP L A I N L A N G U A G E GUIDE TOT H E NISGA'A A G R E E M E N T

TableofContents: Page:Preamble 1Lands 2Expropriation ofNisga'a Lands 3MineralRights

SubmergedLandsCommercial RecreationTenure 4HeritageSitesParks/EcologicalReserveWaterNisga'a Hydro Power Reservation

LandTitle 4Access 4

CrownAccess to Nisga'a LandsRoadsandRightsof Way 5Nisga'a Highway 6SecondaryRoadsNisga'a Roads

ForestResources 6Timber Harvest on Nisga'a Lands 7ForestFires andForestHealthForestTenures 8

NaturalResources: Fisheries,Wildlife&Migratory Birds 8Conservation 9Fisheries 10Nisga'aFishAllocationCommercial FisheryProcessing FacilitiesWildlifeandMigratory Birds 11Designated SpeciesAllocationTrappingGuidingMigratory Birds

EnvironmentalAssessmentandProtection 12Nisga'a Government 12Nisga'a Constitution

Relations with non-Nisga'a 13Legislative Jurisdiction and AuthorityPenaltiesSeizure ofAssets 14

AdministrationofJustice 14PoliceForceCommunity Corrections Services


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Nisga'aCourtIndianAct Transition 15Capital Transfer andNegotiationLoanRepayment 15FiscalRelations 16FiscalFinancingArrangements

OwnSource Revenue Agreements 17Taxation 17CulturalArtifactsandHeritage 18Dispute Resolution 19Eligibility and Enrollment 19Ratification 20


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P L A I N L A N G U A G EGUIDET O T H ENISGA'A A G R E E M E N TPreamble:T he Preamblesetsout the intentions ofthe parties in entering into the Agreement.Inshort, allaboriginaltitle or rights ofthe Nisga'a are as set out and defined in theAgreement. Rather than the outright extinguishmentwhichhas been required inpasttreaties, the sameendsare accomplished through a changingo fNisga'aaboriginaltitle and rights into the rights set out in the Agreement-contract.Nisga'athrough this Agreementagreeto recognize crown sovereignty,whileCanada andB . C .agreetoallowfor alimitedrecognitionofNisga'arights as setforth in Agreement. The intent ofthe parties is to achieve certainty with respectto the Nisga'a exerciseoftheir rights this is done through defining those rights andsetting forth how they w i l lbe practiced, and what federal andprovinciallawsw i l lapplyto the practiceofthose rights.T he Agreement is intended to be the just and equitable settlement ofthe landquestion whichreconciles the prior presence (notaboriginaltitle or rights)of theNisga'a withCrownsovereignty.GeneralProvisions:T he Agreement contains clauseswhich convert and reduce al lexisting aboriginaltitle or rights ofthe Nisga'a into

those containedwithinthe Agreement; ensurethatthe Agreementw i llbe the full andfinal settlement of all ofthe

Nisga'aaboriginaltitle or rights; release al lrights oftheNisga'anot listed in the Agreement to Canada; and exhaustively set forthal lthe Section 35 rightsoftheNisga'a, includingthe

manner o ftheir exercise, andal l limitationsto those rights towhichthe Partieshave agreed.

Nisga'aPlainLanguage Summary 1


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Nisga'apromisesthatit has the right toenterinto the Agreement onbehalf of allNisga'awith any aboriginal title or rights based on their Nisga'a identity:

The Nisga'a Nationrepresentsand warrants to Canada and Bri tishColumbiathat,inrespecto fthemattersdealt with in this Agreement, it hasthe authority toenter,and itenters,into this Agreement onbehalf of allpersonswho have any aboriginal rights,includingaboriginal title, inCanada, or any claims tothoserights, based on their identify as Nisga'a.

Canada and B . C .Promisethatthey have authority to deal with themattersin theAgreement withintheir respective authorities. B . C .and Canada do not promisethatthey have authority onbehalfof allCanadians and/or Bri tishColumbians.Nisga'ahave the right to practice their culture and use their language in a mannerconsistent with this Agreement.The Agreementdoesnot alter federal orprovincialdivision ofpowers. TheCanadian Charter ofRightsand Freedoms applies to the Nisga'a government.Nisga'aw i llindemnify Canada and B . C .against any action regarding the priorinfringement or abrogation ofaboriginaltitle or rights or any actions based onaboriginaltitle or rightsthatare not included in the Agreement.The Agreement w i llnot affect the rights ofother AboriginalPeoples. I fanAboriginalPeople can show, in court,thattheir rights are adversely affected bythis Agreement the Agreement w i l loperateto theextentthatitdoesnot impactthoseother rights. The Parties w i lltry to amend the Agreement where provisionsaremadeinvalidbecausethey affect the rights o fother AboriginalPeoples.Generallyspeaking, federal andprovinciallawsw i l lprevail overthosepassed bythe Nisga'a governments unless the Agreement provides otherwise.

L A N D SThe Agreement effectively extinguishes allAboriginalTitle ofthe Nisga'aNationto the entirety oftheir traditional territory, and converts Nisga'aA bor iginaltitle tofeesimple title to a parcel of 1,930squarekilometres (plus, several smaller

pieces oflandequaling approximately 62squarekilometres) equalingapproximately 8% o fthe Nisga'aoriginaltraditional territory. UnderlyingProvincialCrowntitle is recognized over 100%o ftheareawhich was formerlyNisga'a's traditional title lands.

Nisga'aPlainLanguageSummary 2


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Nisga'acanpurchaseareaso fformer Nisga'a traditional title lands which are notincluded in the Agreement. Any additional lands purchased by the Nisga'aw i ll besubject to the conditionsthata non-Nisga'a would be bound by (for example,existing permits or licences). Nisga'a Nation can sellits Lands without theconsentofCanada orB . C . CertaincategoriesofNisga'aLandscannotbe seizedbycreditors in payment ofdebtsowed by the Nisga'aNation,as long as theNisga'aNation orVil lageGovernment do notgrantaninterestin the land (forexample, a mortgage).Nisga'aagreethatexisting third partyinterestson Nisga'a Landsw i ll continue,uninterrupted. These include privately owned fee simple lands, forest tenures,andpublicutility and road rights ofway.Nisga'agovernmentscandesignateNisga'a Lands as either Public or PrivateLands. Private lands w i l lbe smaller, and w i ll includethoseparcels of land whichare being used for industrialpurposes(i.e., forestry) or forpurposesofthe Nisga'awhichare not consistent with public access.Expropriation ofNisga'aLand andNisga'aFeeSimpleLands:B . C .and Canadareservethe right to expropriate Nisga'a Lands for publicpurposes,as long as theinterestexpropriated is: for the smallestamountandinterest necessary, for theshortesttime required for the public purpose, and has theconsentofthe Lieutenant Governor inC oun c ilfor B . C .or Governor in

C o u n c i lfor CanadaB . C .maintains a very broad power ofexpropriation, but Canadaagrees that, as ageneral principle,estatesorinterestsin Nisga'a Lands, or Nisga'a Fee SimpleLands,w i l lnot be expropriated underfederal legislation, in order to maintain theintegrity ofthe Nisga'aLandbase.MineralRights:Nisga'aGovernmentretainsall mineral rights contained within the 8% parcel ofNisga'asettlementLands. B . C .owns allofthe mineral rights within therestof theNisga'a's former traditional territory.SubmergedLands:B . C .owns all submerged lands within Nisga'a Lands, except for the former IndianReserves.



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Commercial RecreationTenure:B . C . w i l lissue a Nisga'a commercial recreation tenure for 27 years. B . C . w i l lnot issue othercommercialrecreationtenuresin the Nisga'acommercialtenurearea, for seven years.

HeritageSites:The Agreementsetsout sitesthatB . C . w i l ldesignate as heritage sites underprovinciallawB . C . w i llregister Nisga'anamesforthosesites. Nisga'a can applytoB . C .to have other sites givenNisga'anames.Parks/Ecological Reserve:The Nisga'aMemorialLav aBed Park andGingettiEcologicalReservew i llremainunderprovincialownership and authority. Nisga'a citizensw i ll have the right totraditionaluseso fthe lands and resources withintheseareas,subject to theAgreement and any management plans agreed to byB . C . A Joint ParkManagement Committee ofsix people (3 fromNisga'a,3 fromB . C . ) w i l lmakerecommendations regarding the management ofthe Park. B . C . w i l lnot permitcommercialharvesting intheseareas,unless the Nisga'aagree.Water:Theprovincialwater lawsw i llapply to Nisga'aLands. B . C .ownsallwaterwithinNisga'asettlementLands. B . C . w i l lreserve to Nisga'a a water allotment of300,000 cubicdecametresfor domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes. A l lexistingsenior water licences (issued prior toMarch22, 1996) must be filledbefore the Nisga'aw i l lbe allowed to take from their waterallocation. Nisga'amust apply for licences fromB . C . in order to make use ofthe Nisga'a waterreservation.Nisga'aHydroPower Reservation:B . C . w i llestablish aHydroPower Reservation in favour ofthe Nisga'a for a 20year period overal lstreams(notincludingthe Nass)whicharewhollyorpartiallywithinNisga'aLands. Nisga'a can propose a hydro project,which B . C . w i l l granti f itconformswithfederal andprovinciallaws.

L A N D T I T L EThe Nisga'a can apply to have theProvincialTorrens System apply to parcels ofNisga'aLands to register indefeasible title under theLandTitleAct. Aprovincialcertificate of indefeasible titlew i ll list al lconditions and restrictions on the land infavour ofNisga'aor another person, and all charges against the land for adebtowedto theNisga'a NationorNisga'a Village.

Nisga'aPlain LanguageSummary 4


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Where a Nisga'a or non-Nisga'a person is deprived ofaninterestinLandbecausetheirinterestwas not recorded when the landcameinto theprovincialregistry,they w i llhaveno legalmeansor recovering their land, orof receiving monetarycompensation for its loss, aside from where they can show fraud or bad faith.

N otitle orinterestin the land which is contrary to the title registered in theprovincialsystem isvalid. Even whereanotherperson hasbeenin possession, andhas livedon and occupied the land for a long time, this person w i l lhaveno rightsto the land (and no right to sue or bring legal actions) once the land is registered intheprovincialregistry inanother person'sname.

A C C E S S

Canada and B . C .havea broad right toaccessNisga'a Lands. Nisga'aw i llallowpublicaccessto Nisga'aPublicLands for temporary non-commercial andrecreationaluses and w i l lalso providereasonableopportunities for the public tofishandhunt. Nisga'a Government can make laws regulating public access, andchargepermit or licencingfeesfor hunting and fishing on Nisga'a Lands.CrownAccesstoNisga'aLands:Canada and B . C .areguaranteeda right ofaccessto enter,cross, andstaytemporarily on Nisga'a Lands to deliver andmanageprograms and services, tocarry out inspectionsunderlaw, to enforce laws, to carry out thetermso fthisAgreement, and to respond to emergencies. Access is subject to Nisga'a laws solongas Nisga'a laws do not interfere. Similaraccessprovisions are includedwhichgives Nisga'a the right toenternon-Nisga'a Lands, but Nisga'a mayhavetopay any applicablefeesor compensation for this access, andmustabide by federalandprovinciallaws.Canada and the MinisterofNationalDefencehavefullauthority to carry outactivities related to nationaldefenceand security on Nisga'a Lands, in accordancewithfederal laws ofgeneral application.

R O A D S A N D RIGHTSOF W A Y

B . C . is entitled to a total rights ofwayareaof 800hectareso fNisga'aLands.Nisga'a w i llgrantto B . C . ,or public utilities (includingB CHydro and BC Tel)rights ofway on Nisga'a Lands for publicpurposes,providedthattherequestisreasonable, intermso fthearea requested,the impact it has on surrounding landsand compensation is offered.



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T he users ofthe rightsof way w i l l followNisga'alawsprovidedthat theselaws donot interferewiththe purposes forwhichthe rightof way was granted, or imposemore stringent standards than federal orprovinciallaws.Nisga'aHighway:B . C .maintains itsownership,jurisdictionand controlofthe main highwaycorridor goingthroughNisga'aLands. TheNisga'a Highwayis in addition toB . C . ' stotal rights of way area.SecondaryRoads:Nisga'a w i llgrant B . C .rights of way foral lsecondaryprovincialroads, the full ,freeand uninterrupted right,libertyand rights of way, in perpetuity, for thepurposes ofusing,constructing,re-constructing,repairing,improving,upgrading,and maintaining... roads open to thepublic,industrialand resource users.B . C . w i l lconsultwith Nisga'aconcerningtraffic regulation on theHighwayandsecondary roads. B . C .has the right to setlimitson the height andlocationofbuildingsonNisga'aLandswhichare adjacent to theNisga'a Highwayorsecondary roads forpublicsafety.Nisga'aRoads:Nisga'ahavecontrolovera llother roadswithin Nisga'aLands(theseareessentiallythe roadswithinorservicing existingreserve lands) subject to theAgreement. Nisga'acan closeNisga'aRoads to thepublic,unless those roads arewithinNisga'a Vil lagelands inwhichcase theyw i llbe open to thepublicon asimilarbasis as roads inB . C .municipalities. Nisga'acan close any of itsroads forsafety reasons.

F O R E S T R E S O U R C E S

Nisga'a Nation w i llownallforest resources uponNisga'aLands.However,existingforest tenures onNisga'aLandsw i llcontinue forfiveyears, subject toprovinciallaws. Nisga'aaccess to and use ofthe forestry resource w i l lbe phasedinover five-years.T he Nisga'amay make laws regarding the harvest oftimber,subject to meetingprovincialforest standards, but have verylittlecontrol over the manufacture or saleoftimber. B . C . laws regarding timberscalingand timber marksw i llapply totimberharvested onNisga'alands.



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Fo r the first nine years, the Agreementsetsout themaximumamounts oftimberthatcan be harvested on Nisga'a Landswhichincludes a guaranteed harvest tothirdparties for the firstfiveyears (timber harvestedfromformer Indian Reservesisexcludedfromtheselimits).TimberHarvestonNisga'aLands for the FirstNineYears of theAgreement:Total TimberHarvestonNisga'aLands

Harvestby ExistingLicenseesonNisga'aLands,authorizedbyB C

Harvestallowedto beauthoirzedbyNisga'a

Total TimberHarvestonNisga'aLands


Harvestallowedto beauthoirzedbyNisga'a



Y r 1: 165,000m3 155,000m3 10,000 m 3Yr 2 : 165,000m3 155,000m3 10,000 m 3Y r 3: 165,000m3 155,000m3 10,000 m 3Y r 4 : 165,000m3 135,000m3 30,000 m 3Y r5: 165,000m3 125,000m3 40,000 m 3Totalharvest amounts arelimitedfor the first nineyears ofthe agreement, asfollows:

Nisga'amustauthorizethefollowingcutvolumes:

Totalharvest amounts arelimitedfor the first nineyears ofthe agreement, asfollows:


Totalharvest amounts arelimitedfor the first nineyears ofthe agreement, asfollows:


Totalharvest amounts arelimitedfor the first nineyears ofthe agreement, asfollows:Y r6: 135,000 m3 135,000 m 3Y r7: 135,000 m3 135,000 m 3Y r 8: 135,000 m3 135,000 m 3Y r 9: 130,000 m3 130,000 m3

Fo r the firstfiveyears, a ForestTransitionCommittee, comprisedo fone memberfromNisga'aand B . C . , w i llmanage the forests onNisga'aLands.ForestFires andForestHealth:O n Nisga'aLands,B . C . w i l lretain itsresponsibilityfor fighting fires. After fiveyears,Nisga'a w i l lpayB . C . 'scosts in most circumstances. Nisga'a w i l lfight fireson Nisga'aV il lageLands andNisga'aPrivate Lands.Nisga'aNationis responsible for forest health onNisga'aLands. I f B . C . feelsthereis a forest health problemwhichthreatensforests on non-Nisga'aLands, B . C .can enterontoNisga'aLands and address the problem themselves. Nisga'a wi l lreimburseB . C . 'scosts. I f B . C . is aware of aforest health problem onCrownlandsthat threatensforests onNisga'aLands theyw i llattemptto address the problemand compensateNisga'afor any damage to Nisga'a forest resources.T he Agreement protects theexistingB . C .forest industry. Nisga'aagreeto notestablish a timber harvestingfacility(asidefromfor their own use, or for value-



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added manufacturing) for a ten year period, unless as a joint venturewithanexistingtimber manufacturing facility. Nisga'a promise to make timber harvestedon Nisga'a lands reasonablyavailable to local mills.ForestTenures:B . C .agrees,inprinciple,to grantNisga'a Nationa foresttenurefor an annual cutof up to 150,000m3, harvested according to federal andprovinciallaws. Nisga'aw i l lpayal lapplicablefees(i.e., stumpage fees) forthesetrees.B . C . w i l lonly grantthis timbertenureifitmeetslocalemploymentneeds,localpublic interests, andprovides economic opportunities for the region. I fNisga'awant a Tree FarmLicence,thetenuremust include a portiono fNisga'aLands.Nisga'amay apply for funding from existing federal orprovincialforest andhabitat restoration programs, and canstillapply for foresttenuresthatany othercitizen wouldbeeligibleto apply for.

N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S : FISHERIES, W I L D L IF E M I G R A T O R Y BIRDS

The Agreementexplicitlyrecognizes the ownership andjurisdiction ofCanada andB . C .over the fishery,wildlife ,and migratorybirds. Nisga'a are allowed anallocation or entitlement oftheseresources, but their ownership ofthese

resources is not recognized. Nisga'a jurisdictionislimitedto the manner inwhichthey w i llharvestwithintheir allocations set forth in the Agreement.Nisga'aharvest oftheseresources w i l lbe for domestic purposes, subject toconservation, health and public safety requirements. A right to harvest naturalresources for domestic purposes precludes an economic use oftheseresources. Aharvest for domestic purposes can be collapsed into a right to eat but not tobenefiteconomicallyfrom the resources.Canada orB . C .can authorizeusesofCrownlandwhichaffect the methods, timesand locationsofthe Nisga'a harvest as long as Nisga'a are not denied a reasonableopportunity to harvesttheseresources.Nisga'a w i llbe allowed totradeor bartertheseresources among themselves, orwithotheraboriginalpeoples. Any commercial sale oftheseresources must beaccordingto federal andprovinciallaws.Management Committees (comprised ofNisga'a,and federal and/orprovincial

representatives) w i l lbe established fortheseresourceswhich w i llallowtheNisga'asome participation in resource management. Nisga'aw i llmakerecommendations for their harvest totheseCommittees. These Committees wi l l



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either approve or disapprove the Management or Harvest Plans proposed byNisga'a,and then forward them to Canada orB . C .(whichever hasjurisdictionover the resource). Canada orB . C .has ultimate authority to approve theManagement or Harvest Plans.

Nisga'a w i llnot have to pay federal orprovincial licencingfeesfor their resourceharvest (note,thatthisdoesnot apply to the commercial fishery, forwhichtheNisga'a w i l lhave to purchase licences)Canada's gun control legislationw i llapply infull force to the Nisga'a, althoughthey can opt to administer theFirearms Actthemselves, as other aboriginal peoplesw i l lbe allowed to do.Where Nisga'apasslaws, (basically, regarding the manner in which the Nisga'aw i l lharvest their resource allocations) Nisga'a lawsw i l lprevail over federal andprovinciallaws. Nisga'a can make laws regarding the sale of fishorwildlife ,butfederal andprovinciallawsw i l lprevail. Federal andprovinciallawsw i llprevail inotherareaswhich allow for an economic benefit from resources, such as the sale offurs, hunting and angling guiding.Nisga'acanstillaccesstheseresources on thesame termsas other Canadian orBri t i shColumbiacitizens. (For example, they canstillenterprovinciallotteries forcertain game, or apply for commercial fishing rights outside of the Agreement,providedthatthey pay al lapplicablefeesandfollowfederal andprovinciallaws)Canada and B . C .agree thatthey w i l l consult with Nisga'a before taking anypolicydecisions or actions whichw i ll impact the Nisga'a harvest oftheseresources. I fCanada orB . C .establish regionalmanagementbodieswithintheNassArea,they w i llconsult with the Nisga'a and, ifpractical, allow for Nisga'aparticipation onthesebodies.Conservation:Nisga'a w i llbe responsible for paying for conservationmeasuresfor the fisheryand wildlife ,along with Canada and B . C .Fisheries andW ildl ifeandMigratoryBirdsare each discussed separately below,but all willbe subject to themanagementstructure, ownership and controlo ftheseresources as set out above.FISHERIES



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The overallfishentitlement is held by theNisga'aNationcommunally and theycannot sellor give away this entitlement, although they canallownon-Nisga'a toharvest theirallocation.HarvestAgreements:A nAnnualHarvest Agreement, approved by Canada,w i llset out the manner inwhichthe fishare to be harvested, to whatdegreeand whether fishharvested canbesold. Federal andprovinciallaws concerning the sale of fish w i l lapply to theNisga'a fishallocation.

Nisga'aFish Allocation:1. The Nisga'a's annual salmonallocation,ofthe Nass fishery, includes: 13% of

sockeye, 15%ofpink,21% ofchinook,8% ofcoho,and 8% ofchum.2. The parties w i l lstudy the Nass steelhead fishery, and w i l lset out the total

Nisga'aallowable harvest ofsteelhead for domestic purposes. Saleo f steelheadw i l lbe allowedif itis allowable under federal andprovinciallaws.

3. Nisga'amay harvest ofnon-salmon and aquatic plants for domestic purposes,but B . C .or Canada can set a total allowable harvest. The parties w i l l negotiatethe basic Nisga'a entitlements to: dungeness,tannerandkingcrabs; halibut;prawns and shrimp; herring; and aquatic plants used for the roe on kelp fishery.

4. Nisga'a, alongwithotheraboriginalpeoples, have the right to the total harvestofOolichanin the NassArea.

5. Nisga'a have a right to a domestic harvest ofintertidalbivalves (clams)withinadefinedareaso ftheNass. Canadaw i l lnot authorize commercial harvestingwithinthis area.

Participationin the General Commercial Fishery:Canada and B . C . w i llprovide funds to enableNisga'ato increase its participation(through purchasing vessels and licences) in the general commercial fishery.Nisga'aparticipationw i llbe on thesamebasis as othercommercialfishers, andw i l lbe subject to federal andprovinciallaws. The amounts providedw i llbe asfollows: Canada: 5.75 millionandB . C . :5.75 million. (Nisga'a can spend up to 3millionfor other fisheries activities).ProcessingFacilities:The Agreement protects existingfishprocessing plants. Nisga'aagree thattheyw i l lnot establish a newfishprocessingfacilitycapable ofprocessing more than2,000 metrictonso fround weight per fishyear,withineight years ofthe effectivedate,except as agreed to by the Parties.



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W I L D L I F E A N D M I G R A T O R YBIRDS

The Nisga'a may harvest wildlifeand migratory birdswithina specific areadefinedin the Agreement, the NassW ildli fe Area . B . C .can designate specieswhere it decides it is necessary to set harvestlimitsfor conservation purposes. Forthesespecies, a total allowable Nisga'a harvest w i l lbe established. The initialdesignated species are grizzly,moose, and mountain goats, forwhichthe Nisga'aallocationis:

Nisga'aDesignatedSpeciesAllocation:1. Moose: 80%o ffirst50 moose, 32%o fnext 50 moose, and 56% of all

remainingmoose, to amaximumof 170 moose.2. MountainGoats: 25%o fthe total allowable harvest.3. Grizzly: 40%( ifharvest is 6 or less); 50%( ifharvest if7-8grizzly) ;40% (if

the harvest is 9-10grizzly) ;and i fthe harvest is over 10grizzly,40%o f thefirstten and then 30%o fthe remainder ofthe total allowable harvest.

Fo r specieswhichare non-designated, Nisga'a have a right to harvestthatwildlifefor domestic purposes.Trapping:Nisga'aacquires all TraplineswhollyorpartiallywithinNisga'a Landsthatare notregistered to any person. Nisga'a and B . C . w i llattempttoagreeupon the transferofauthority over Traplines held by the Nisga'a in the NassWildlifeAreato theNisga'a.Guiding:Nisga'a w i l lacquire an angling licence for waters outside ofNisga'aLands,although Nisga'a angling guides must havesimilartraining,insurance andreporting as required outside ofNisga'aLands. Nisga'aw i llacquire a guidingcertificate over Nisga'aLands, i fone becomes vacant. Nisga'a outfittingw i llbesubject to federal andprovinciallaws.Migratory Birds:Nisga'ahave the right to harvest migratory birds for domestic purposes in the NassAreasubject to conservation requirements, public health and safety and so long astheir harvestdoesnot interferewithauthorizeduseso fCrownland.



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E N V I R O N M E N T A LA S S E S S M E N T A N D P R O T E C T I O N

Federalandprovinciallawsw i llbe dominant, but Nisga'a can make lawsregarding the environmentalassessmento fprojects on Nisga'aLands. A l lpartiesenvironmentalassessmentlawsw i l lattemptto mitigatedamagesthatcould impactNisga'aLands or interests,assessenvironmental impacts on the economic, socialand culturalwell-beingofNisga'acitizens , andtakeinto account Nisga'a supportofor participation in the projects.N o party w i llrelax its environmentalstandardsin the NassAreato encourage orkeep investment.I fCanada orB . C .establish bodies whichw i llconsider environmentalassessmentor protection forareasthatinclude Nisga'a Lands or may impact Nisga'a interests,Nisga'a w i llhave standing beforethatboard or body, and w i llbe entitled toappoint a member to the board so long as the board is not a decision making body(for example, the Nisga'a have no right to appoint a member to the NationalEnergyBoard).

NISGA'A G O V E R N M E N T

Nisga'a's governance powers are as set out in the Agreement.The Nisga'aNationand Nisga'aVil lageareseparateand distinct legal entitieswiththe capacity and rights ofa natural person,includingthe right to contract, buyand sellproperty, sue and be sued. (This is the legally description of a corporation,and the powers ofa corporation). Eachlevel ofNisga'agovernment w i l lbe boundbythe Agreement, the Nisga'a Constitution and Nisga'a laws.Nisga'a Constitution:The Nisga'a Nationw i llpassa Nisga'a Constitution which provides for thecodification ofNisga'alaws. The Nisga'a Constitutionw i llset out the powers ofthe Nisga'a governments; processesfor challenging the decisionsofNisga'agovernments andPublicInstitutions; how Nisga'a governments can dispose of, orcreateestatesorinterestsin Nisga'aLands;and, recognize and protect the rightsand freedoms ofNisga'acitizens.The Nisga'a Constitution must be passed by, and require an initialamendingprocedure, requiring support of7 0 % o fNisga'acitizens voting in a referendum.Nisga'aGovernment w i l lconsist ofat leastthreepeople generally elected, theelected members ofthe Nisga'aV il lageGovernments and one representative



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elected by each UrbanLocal . Electionsw i llbe heldwithinsix months of theeffectivedate.Relationswith Individualswho are notNisga'aCitizens:Nisga'agovernment w i l lconsultwithpeople who are notNisga'a Citizenswho areresidentwithinNisga'a Lands aboutmatterswhichdirectly andsignificantly affectthem. This can include ensuring their participation in Nisga'aPublicInstitutions(ie, SchoolBoards).LegislativeJurisdiction and Authority:The Agreement w i llprevail over any Nisga'alaws. Nisga'a governments have theprincipleauthority, as defined in the Agreement, over Nisga'a Government,citizenship,culture, language, Lands, andassets. Nisga'a Government can makelawstheseareas,and Nisga'a lawsw i l lprevail over federal andprovinciallaws.SomeoftheareasinwhichNisga'a Governments can make laws are: financialadministrationofNisga'agovernments and institutions elections and referenda creation or dissolutionofNisga'aVillagesorNisga'aUrbanLocals Nisga'a citizenship (whichw i l lnot grant any rights ofCanadiancitizenship,or

the right to registered as an Indian under theIndian Act preservation and promotiono fthe Nisga'a language planning and zoningofNisga'aLands regulation and control of any activities on Nisga'a Landsthatconstitute a

nuisance,trespassor danger to public health and safetyInmanyareas, Nisga'a can make laws, subject to meeting federal orprovincialstandards. Examples are childandfamilyservices, solemnizationofmarriages,and K - 1 2 Education on Nisga'a LandsPenalties:Nisga'aGovernment has no authority overcriminallaw.Nisga'aGovernment can prescribe penalties for the violations ofitslaws,includingpenalties, imprisonment and fines butthesecannot exceed the penaltiesfor summary convictions under federal andprovinciallaws (currently, this isapproximately 6 months inj a i land a $2,000 fine). Nisga'a Government has noauthority overcriminallaw.



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SeizureofAssets:Inthe event ofan outstandingdebt,where a third party (creditor, bank, etc.)wishes to seize theassetso ftheNisga'a Nationor aNisga'a Village,they wi l lrequire the permissiono fthe Supreme Courto f B . C . In deciding whether or not toallowNisga'aassetsto be seized, the Courtw i l lconsider the immunities fromassetseizure guaranteed under this Agreement.

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N O F J U S T I C E

PoliceForce:Nisga'a Nationcan, at its own cost, provide police services onNisga'a. Nisga'apoliceservices w i l lbe governed according tostandardssubstantially thesameasprovincialstandards. B . C .must approve the Nisga'aPolice Board, includingitsstructure and membership, and w i llappoint its members, subject to Nisga'arecommendation.I f B . C .decidesthat effectivepolicingin accordancewithstandardsprevailingelsewhere inB ri tishColumbiais not being deliveredwithinNisga'aLands or it isnecessary in order toensureeffective deliveryofpolicingservices,B . C .canstepinand reorganize Nisga'apolicing.Community CorrectionsServices:Nisga'aNationcan appoint a person to provide community correction servicesregarding persons chargedwithor convictedo foffences under Nisga'a laws. B.C.and Canada mayenterintoagreementswithNisga'a for theprovisionofcorrectionalregardingviolationsoffederal andprovinciallaws.Nisga'a Nationis not authorized to establish places ofconfinement, other thanjailsor lockups operated by the police force.Nisga'aCourt:Nisga'aGovernment can establish a court to administer Nisga'a laws, but B . C .must approve the Court's structure, procedures and method o fselection ofjudges.The Nisga'a Court is bound by thesamesentencingprinciplesand can impose thesameremedies asprovincialcourts, but it may apply traditional Nisga'a methodsand values, such as using Nisga'a elders to assist in adjudicating and sentencing,and emphasizing restitution.



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Nisga'aCourt mayheartofollowingmatters: reviewo fadministrative decisions made by Nisga'aPublicInstitutions; adjudication and prosecution ofNisga'alaws; disputes arising between Nisga'a citizens on Nisga'a Landsthatwouldhave

otherwise been in thejurisdiction oftheprovincialcourt o f B . C . ;and othermatterswhere both parties to a disputeagreeupon the Nisga'a Court'sjurisdiction.I f aperson iseligibleto receive a prisonsentenceunderNisga'a law, they can electinstead to be tried before aprovincialcourt. Nisga'a cannot impose on non-Nisga'acitizens any penalty or sanctionthatwouldnot be imposed by courtselsewhere in Canada, withoutthatperson's consent.

CT TRANSITION

Generally,theIndian Actno longer applies to theNisga'a Nationor its citizens.Nisga'aIndian Bands are transformed intoV il lageGovernments under theAgreement, and the former Indian Bands and Indian Reserve Landsw i l lceasetoexist.A l lrights, title, interests,assets,obligations andliabilities ofthe Nisga'aT ribalC o u n c i lare transferred to the Nisga'aNationand the Nisga'aT r ibal Counci lceasesto exist.

C A P I T A L T R A N S F E R A N D N E G O T I A T I O N L O A N R E P A Y M E N T

The Agreementsetsout how the capital amountsthatB . C .and Canada wil ltransfer to the Nisga'aw i l lbe calculated. The total amounts are not included inthe Agreement, but w i llbe paid out over fifteen years.Canada and B . C . w i llpay to the Nisga'a (Canadaw i llpay 92.4% andB . C .7.6 %ofthe amounts due) 22m il lionat effectivedate 22m il lionnext year 13m il l ionfor the second-seventh anniversaries the amount for the eighth to fourteenth anniversaries w i llbe determined

accordingto the formula set out in the Agreement.Nisga'a w i llrepay,withinterest, the negotiating loans it received from Canada.O n the second to seventh anniversaries ofthe Agreement Nisga'aw i l lrepay to



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Canada twom il liondollars (for a partial total oftwelvemillionto be repaid). Theoveralltotal ofthe loan isstillto be calculated. Canada can deduct from a capitaltransfer amount it owes to the Nisga'a any loan repaymentthatthe Nisga'a isscheduled to pay. The Nisga'a can pre-pay loan amounts without bonus or penalty.

F I S C A L R E L A T I O N S

Nisga'asettlement trustsw i l lbe established under federal andprovinciallaws toholdcapital transfers from Canada orB . C . Funds from the settlement trustscanonlybe invested inlimitedinvestments, and can be loaned at lowratesof interestto Nisga'a governments, or loaned interest-free or at a low interest to Nisga'acitizensfor residential housing, educational or small business purposes. Trustfunds cannot be used to establish or carry on businessactivities. The distributionsfrom thetrustcan only be made to benefit ofthe Nisga'a.Fiscal FinancingArrangements:Every fiveyears the parties w i l lagreeuponfiscalfinancingagreementsbywhichCanada and B . C . w i l lprovide funds to enableNisga'ato carry out agreed-uponpublicprograms and services to Nisga'a and, where agreed, non-Nisga'a citizens.The levelso ffundingprovidedw i l lbe comparable to funding generally availableinnorthwest B . C . The recognitiono fNisga'ajurisdictionin certainareasdoesnotcreateorimplyafinancialobligation on theparto fCanada or B . C .Nisga'acitizens areeligibleto participate in programs operated byB . C .andCanada for thepublic,to the extentthatNisga'a has not assumed responsibility forthoseprograms and services under afiscalfinancing arrangement. The parties willnegotiate andattemptto reachagreementswithrespect toagreementsin respect ofgrantsinlieu ofpropertytaxesbetween themThe funding forNisga'aNationandVillages is a shared responsibilityof theParties and it is the shared objective o fthe Partiesthat,where feasible, the relianceofthe Nisga'aNationand Nisga'aVillageson transfers w i l lbe reduced overtime. The long-term goal is to have Nisga'a self-finance the programs andserviceswhichit delivers.



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In negotiating the amountsthatB . C .and Canadaw i l lpay toNisga'ato enablethem to provide programs and services, the partiesw i llconsider, among otherthings: efficiencyand effectiveness inproviding publicprograms and services; locationandaccessibilityofNisga'aLands; thepopulation receivingthe services; other sources offunding providedbyB . C .or Canada to theNisga'a; desirabilityofstable and predictable funding arrangements; prevailing fiscalpoliciesofCanadaand B . C . ; Nisga'aculturalvalues; and Nisga'a Nationown source revenue capacity.OwnSourceRevenueAgreements:Amain goalo fthe Agreement is to ensurethattheNisga'abecome selfsufficient inprovidingthe agreed upon federal andprovincialprograms andservices. The Agreementsetsout a formula for determiningNisga'a own sourcerevenue to determine where revenue oftheNisga'a(gained through resourceextraction,or taxes, for example) should be used to finance programs and services.Ultimately, Nisga'aown source revenue w i llbe used to reduce payments forprograms and services receivedfromthe federal andprovincialgovernments.Factorswhich w i llbe used to determine Nisga'a's own source revenueinclude,theneed to not unreasonably reduce theincentivefor theNisga'ato raise revenues,and the amountsthatCanada andB . C .may havecollected i fthis Agreement werenot in place.Revenuesfromthe saleofNisga'aLands, capitaltransfers, capital in settlementtrusts(only capital gainsfromthetrustsw i l lbe taken into account), theNisga'acapitalfinance authority (except where it pays out to abeneficiary,and this pay outbecomeseligibleforinclusion), w i l lnot be used to determineNisga'aown sourcerevenue capacity.Nisga'aNationown source revenue capacityw i llbe phased in over a twelve yearperiod,butw i llstarton the effectivedate.

T A X A T I O N

Nisga'aGovernment can make laws todirectlytaxNisga'acitizensonNisga'aLandsto raise revenues for government purposes, but this does not limitCanada orB . C . ' spowers to impose taxes. Nisga'acanagreewithCanada and/orB . C .to



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grantNisga'aauthority to tax non-Nisga'a citizens onNisga'aLands or tocoordinateNisga'atax regimeswithfederal andprovincialsystems.T he taximmunitygranted by section 87o ftheIndian Act w i lleventually not applytoNisga'acitizens. Aftereight yearsNisga'acitizensw i llhave to payalltransaction (sales) taxes, and after twelve years theyw i llhave to paya llother taxes(income and property taxes, for example). Nisga'acitizenshave no immunityfromtaxes leveled byNisga'agovernments on them.Nisga'a NationorVillagesis not subject to capital or real property taxation onlands forwhichthereare no improvements, or designated improvements (such aspublic buildings, publicworks and forest resources.A transfer o fcapitalto the Nisga'a under this Agreement is not taxable, butNisga'a NationandVillagesare subject to taxation arisingfromadispositionofcapital.If,within20 years o fthe Agreement, Canada orB . C .enterinto another treaty innorthwest B . C .whichprovides for a broader tax exemption thanthatallowedinthis Agreement the parties w i l lnegotiate andattemptto reach an agreement toprovide theNisga'aNationandVillageswithasimilartax exemption.Theoretically,no tax exemptionw i l lbe granted toNisga'acitizens.Amountspaid toNisga'aparticipants under this Agreement are taxable i fthey canbe considered adistribution o fcapitaltransfer. I fNisga'agive treaty payments totheir memberstheseamounts are taxable when they are received.

C U L T U R A L A R T I F A C T S A N D H E R I T A G E

T he Roya l B . C .Museumand the CanadianMuseum of Civilization,agreeto returnspecificartifacts to theNisga'a. The museums w i l lretain other artifacts, and w i l lenterinto custodial arrangements withtheNisga'a,whichcomplywithfederalandprovinciallaws, and respectNisga'alaws and practices fortheseartifacts. IfCanada orB . C .come into possession o fartifacts in the future, theyw i ll lendtheseartifact to theNisga'a,or mayagreeto give them to theNisga'a.A tNisga'a's request Canada andB . C .w i llmake reasonable efforts to help themaccessNisga'ahuman remains and artifacts held in other private orpubliccollections.



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Subject to federal andprovinciallaws, human remains ofpersons ofNisga'aancestrythatare removed from heritage sites w i l lbe delivered to the Nisga'aNation.

DISPUTE R E S O L U T I O N

The partiesagree thattheir relationshipw i llbe cooperative and non-adversarial,and they w i llendeavor tominimizedisagreements or to resolve them asquicklyand cost-effectively as possible when they occur.The Agreement includes athree stagedispute resolution process. Eachparty wi l lbear its own costs in the dispute resolution process, but w i l lsharecommon costs.Thestagesare:1. unassisted and informal discussions;2. a mediationstageinvolvinga neutral third partywithno capacity to enforce a

decision;and3. a process of final adjudication ofthe dispute through arbitration.A l lparties can commence court actions at any time to prevent the lossof arightdue to the expirationo f alimitationperiod, or to seek interlocutory or interimreliefpending the resolutionofthe dispute under this process.

E L I G I B I L I T Y A N D E N R O L L M E N T

Aperson iseligibleto be enrolled under the Agreement ifthatperson iso fNisga'aancestry and their mother was born into one ofthe Nisga'a tribes (or they are thedescendent or adopted child ofsuch anindividual),or they are married to a persono fNisga'aancestry and have been adopted according to the customs ofthe Nisga'atribes. A person cannot be enrolled in this Agreement and another land claimsagreementin Canada at thesametime.A n Enrollment Committeeo feight peoplew i llconsider applications forenrollment. The eight members consistoftwo members from eachNisga'atribe,w ho understand Nisga'a culture and reside in a Nisga'aVillage. Eachapplicanthas the burden ofproofofshowingthatthey should beenrolled. Nisga'a, Canadaand B . C . w i llbe providedwitha copyo fthe register. Duringthe initialenrollmentperiod,Canada and B . C . w i llsharethe costs oftheEnrollmentAppeal Board.A n EnrollmentAppeal Board w i llbe establishedwithone member appointed byNisga'a,one appointed by Canada, and one joint appointee for appeal ofenrollment decisions. A decisionoftheEnrollmentAppeal Boardcan be appealedto the Supreme Courto f Bri tishColumbia within60 days.



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Afterthe initialenrollment period, Nisga'a Government w i l lbe responsible forestablishing and maintaining an enrollment process andprovidingannualenrollmentupdatesto Canada and B . C .

RATIFICATION

Ratificationby theNisga'aNation:1. Adebateat an assemblyaboutwhether or not to send the Agreement to a

referendum, and the passing ofa motion by a simple majority vote inagreement;and, then

2. A referendum in which a simple majority (50% plus one)ofthosewhovoteapprove the Agreement.1

The referendum w i l lbe conducted bysecretballot, by the Nisga'a RatificationCommittee(includingrepresentativesfrom Canada andB . C . ) . A person is eligibleto vote i fthey are included on the enrollment registry, are at least eighteenyearsold, and areordinarilyresident in Canada.

1 Although the languageof theAgreementsaysthatitmustberatifiedby 50 of alleligible voters,thedefinitionsection defineseligiblevotersasthosewho areentitledtovote,and who actuallydovote.

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UNION OF B. C. INDIAN CHIEFS PLAIN LANGUAGE GUIDE TO THE NISGA'A AGREEMENT

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