Kitsumkalum 2017 Treaty Settlement Land Tour
▪ This year the Treaty Staff have hosted 5 Land Tours for our members. ▪ We tried to cover as much of the 112 acres that was accessible with our new passenger van. ▪ we wanted to ensure that our community members got to experience the proposed Treaty Settlement Lands first-hand.
We will own all of these lands (in green) as a Nation and be able to choose how they are managed, protected, developed and used. Right now, under the Indian Act, Kitsumkalum is limited to our 4 reserves. (1-KitsumKalum 2- Robintown 3-Zimacord 4-Pt Essington) The reserves are owned by the Federal Government. This will all change if the Kitsumkalum Treaty is accepted by the Kitsumkalum people. 2 1 3
Tour 1 was the bumpy East side of Kalum Lake, We went right to the washout bridge with stops at the pump site, Robintown entrance road, and to have lunch at Red Sand with Julie. Members shared stories of harvesting with their family members, whether is was blueberries for jam, cedar for baskets, or even fish for the winter supply. Our traditional land has so many resources at our finger tips. It was an honor to hear family stories, from not being allowed to go swimming until you picked berries, or where our great uncles, and grandfathers hunted and trapped.
Forest lands cover most of Kitsumkalum Settlement Lands (about 260 square kilometres or 59 percent). This is 60 times bigger than our Kitsumkalum Reserves, which total 4 1/2 square kilometres. Members were able to see the 2 nd growth timber, commercial logging has become an important economic activity for Kitsumkalum and will likely continue to be economically important to us. the many recreational sites that are available for summer and winter activities, and the natural beauty that is our traditional territories.
Tour 2 brought us to Kalum Lake Drive, all the way to the Nisga`a border at Sand Lake. With stops at Goat Creek, Rosswood Shopping centre, and Sand Lake for lunch with Julie. Please notice that there is private property on some parts of Kitsumkalum Settlement Land, we may decide to develop properties along Kalum Lake. These kinds of property can be very worthwhile for the Kitsumkalum government, and people, because they can produce a lot of tax revenue. It’s important to remember that the Treaty will define our right to be consulted on all restrictions, including our role in developing and putting them into effect. Restriction may limit hunting of some species, and will apply equally to all hunters in the Harvest Area.
Along with the lands, Kalum will own all of the natural resources that go with them, including forests and anything below the surface, such as gravel and minerals. We are still negotiating for more land – the total Treaty Settlement Lands. We will have opportunities to develop our Treaty Settlement lands how ever we see best – this includes, for example, making decisions about the harvest of timber, the development of farms and/or tourism projects.
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