Nov 25/98: Court will hear Gitanyow challenge to Nisga'a deal

BAND GIVEN CHANCE TO CHALLENGE NISGA'A DEAL FOR OVERLAPPING ON THEIR TURF

Canadian Press
November 25, 1998

[S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.]

VANCOUVER (CP) -- A northwest B.C. native band will get its day in court to argue that the Nisga'a agreement overlaps on their territory, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The Gitanyow claims the provincial and federal governments acted in bad faith against the band in negotiating the Nisga'a deal.

The Gitanyow say the Nisga'a treaty encompasses 6,500 square kilometres of their land.

Glen Williams, the Gitanyow's chief negotiator, said he is pleased with the court ruling and said it could go to trial as early as January.

The Gitxsan, the largest band in the Nass River area the Nisga'a treaty affects, has also launched a similar court action.

Among other things, the treaty gives the Nisga'a 1,900 square kilometres of land in the valley and $190 million over 15 years.

The Nisga'a would also get some rights to hunting, fishing, forestry and wildlife management outside that area.

But band leaders for the Gitanyow and the Gitxsan say that arrangement will exclude them from getting the same rights on their traditional lands because 84 per cent are covered by the Nisga'a treaty.


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