First Nations staking their claims in the B.C. economy (& video)

Court victories have driven monumental shift in economic goals

Vancouver Sun

When the Tahltan agreed in a 2011 referendum to support the Northwest Transmission Line that now runs north from Terrace, they knew their lives would change forever. The 344-kilometre power line would open up a vast, relatively untouched region of northwestern B.C. to hydroelectric projects and large-scale mines. A century before, in 1910, the Tahltan had declared they were the sovereign owners of a vast area three times the size of Vancouver Island. And although they are vehement about protecting the region they call the “sacred headwaters” — the beginnings of the salmon-rich Skeena, Stikine and Nass rivers — they are now also keen to be active participants in the provincial economy.

Read More