Lheidli T'enneh Band

The Lheidli T'enneh Band, formerly the Fort George Indian Band" and also known as the "Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, is the First Nations band government for the Lheidli T'enneh, a subgroup of the Dakelh people whose traditional territory includes the city of Prince George, British Columbia. The name means "People of the Confluence" in the Carrier language and refers to the fact that the Nechako River enters the Fraser River at Prince George. The band was previously known as the Fort George Indian Band.

The Lheidli T'enneh are Carrier people. Their traditional language, now spoken only by a few people, is a dialect of the Carrier language.

On October 29, 2006 the Lheidli T'enneh became the first people to initial a treaty with British Columbia and Canada within the framework of the British Columbia Treaty Process created in response to the Delgamuukw case. It remains for the treaty to be ratified by a vote of Lheidli T'enneh band members, by the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and by the Canadian Parliament.

On February 9, 2007 the Treaty 8 First Nations launched a legal challenge of the ratification of Lheidli T'enneh. The Treaty 8 First Nations asserted that Canada, British Columbia and the Lheidli T'enneh did not adequately consult them about the overlap of the Lheidli T'enneh treay area and the area of Treaty 8.

The Treaty 8 First Nations sought an interlocutory injunction preventing the ratification of the treaty until such time as the parties resolves the issues of the overlap. Justice Wilson of the Supreme Court of British Columbia denied the plaintiff's application for an interlocutory injunction.

A similar challenge was launched by the Secwepemc Nation on March 12, 2007.

The Lheidli T'enneh band members did not ratify the treaty in a treaty ratification vote held on March 30, 2007. In the vote 123 people voted against the treaty and 111 voted in favor of it.

As a result, the British Columbia Treaty Commission is calling for a probe of the vote to determine why the treaty was not ratified.

References

* cite book
title = Lheidli T'enneh Hubughunek (Fort George Carrier Lexicon)
last = Poser
first = William
authorlink = William John Poser
location = Prince George, BC
publisher = Lheidli T'enneh
edition = third edition
year = 1999
*cite book
first = Reverend Francis Edwin
last = Runnals
authorlink = Reverend Francis Edwin Runnals
year = 1946
title = A History of Prince George
location = Prince George
publisher = the author
* [http://www.bctreaty.net/files_3/pdf_documents/news_release_Lheidli_Oct3006.pdf BC Treaty Commission news release]
* [http://www.bctreaty.net/files_3/pdf_documents/lheidli_final_agreement.pdf Lheidli T'enneh Final Agreement]
* [http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/3972/1/lheidli+t'enneh+treaty+initialed news article about treaty signing]
* [http://www.devlingailus.com/litigation/Apsassin/apsassin.html Treaty 8 Legal challenge Documents]
* [http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Jdb-txt/SC/07/04/2007BCSC0492.htm reasons for judgment]
* [http://www.bcwf.bc.ca/documents/s=392/bcw1174679173370/ Tribal council seeks to delay treaty ratification]
* [http://www.robsonvalleytimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1070&Itemid=1 Lheidli T’enneh vote No]
* [http://www.bctreaty.net/files/pdf_documents/041707_lheidl-tenneh-voteprobe.pdf PDF - BC Treaty Commission calls For Probe]

External links

* [http://www.lheidli.ca/ Lheidli T'enneh web site]
* [http://www.lib.pg.bc.ca/node/2747 The Village of Lheidli]
* [http://www.bctreaty.net/nations/lheidli.php BC Treaty Commission Lheidli T'enneh page]