Tla Amin voters give strong ‘Yes’ in constitution vote

Almost 70 per cent of voters said ‘Yes’ to the Constitution of the Tla Amin Nation. The vote was held in late October in the Sliammon community and in Vancouver.

The constitution is the final step before the people vote on a final treaty agreement. Along the way, Sliammon First Nation will become Tla Amin Nation.

In the days after the vote, Chief Clint Williams said his community was already looking to use “the positive momentum” of the vote to finalize a treaty in 2010.

“The constitution was a Sliammon document. It is ours and has nothing to do with the federal government.

“There is still a lot of work in front of us. Our community signalled that it is ready for a new era of self-government and opportunity.

“While we celebrate the victory, we are not distracted from the challenges that lie ahead,” he said. “This vote is a clear message to Canada. Tla Amin people are prepared to take the next step toward a brighter future for Tla Amin and all Canadians.

“But our patience has its limits. If Canada is sincere in its spoken commitment to reconciliation, it will not impose any more delays on the Tla Amin people.”

He laid the blame for continuing treaty delays at the door of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

“The government still wants to fight the fight on fish, but Tla Amin isn’t buckling. The DFO vision is not our vision. We have to protect our relationship to seafood.

The fisheries chapter is the only outstanding item left to be negotiated in the final treaty agreement. Canada has refused to negotiate fishery provisions over the past two years. This delay, Williams said, is costing Sliammon $1 million a year.

Getting out the vote

The October vote on the Tla Amin Constitution was preceded by months of activity in the Sliammon Treaty Society offices.

An eligibility and enrolment committee was set up to ensure Sliammon members were contacted and told why their names needed to be registered for the votes on both the constitution and the final treaty agreement.

By voting day in October, there were 492 eligible voters with 50%+1 needed to a successful vote. That meant every member who did not vote essentially voted ‘No’.

There were 273 ‘Yes’ and 119 ‘No’ votes cast which was 69 per cent in favour of the constitution. But the 100 members who did not vote brought the total down to about 55 per cent, still enough for approval.

From Facebook to family

A variety of high and low-tech methods was used to get out the vote.

“One of the most effective things were the Facebook reminders, especially for younger people from 18-25,” said negotiations manager Grace Adams. “We also used text messaging and had the 1-877-483-VOTE phone number.”

She also credited negotiations assistant Noreen Paul for setting up an automated voice message system in the final days before the vote was held.

In addition, there were community meetings with presentations, newsletters and other devices used to enroll voters. There were also lots of discussions in family settings.

“I could guarantee that 100 per cent of the community got contacted by us one way or another,” said Adams. “The big strength of Sliammon is that we have always had community members ready to step into roles. They really did this time.”

Tla Amin assets and Sliammon debt

Chief negotiator Roy Francis was in an up-beat mood after the vote, seeing it as a last big step toward treaty and self-government.

He talked about a recent $12 million deal on Sliammon’s leased lands and how $30 million in cash and lands through treaty could be used for bigger and better things.

“It is all about what we do with the money. Compound interest is a wonderful thing. We will be able to leverage out assets and that will change Sliammon’s position in a big way.”

But as he talked about how to handle Sliammon’s growing assets, he also worried about what 15 years of treaty negotiations has cost in dollars.

“Every day we have to dig deeper into our equity,” he said of the $9 million debt built up over the years in the BC Treaty Process.

Of the positive constitution vote, Francis said he was hopeful that a signal would be sent to the government in Ottawa. “The best possible outcome now is for the feds to admit that they’ve been dragging their feet.”

“The constitution reflects the vision and values that Tla Amin people embrace,” he said. “It defines who we are… true not only to our history and traditions, but also to our place in the modern world.”

Preamble to the Tla Amin Constitution

A constitution is not a new concept to the Tla Amin people. Our traditional teachings were the unwritten constitution that our Ancestors lived by. In creating a written Constitution, we continue to honour and uphold our Ancestral practices, teachings and core values. Through this Constitution, we reinforce the principles of respect, unity and connection to our lands and resources. We vow to keep these teachings and principles in mind in all that we do as Tla Amin people.

Through this Constitution, Tla Amin Citizens and the Tla Amin Government are continuing to exercise our inherent right of self-determination. The Tla Amin Government will govern in an accessible, accountable and transparent manner.

As we have always done, we continue to occupy our lands and carry out our traditional teachings that require us to be stewards of our lands and resources today and always. In upholding our responsibilities, we will continue to seek the guidance of the Creator, our Ancestors and the knowledge of Tla Amin Elders as we protect and make decisions about managing our lands and resources.

Our vision of self-government and of a healthy, self-sufficient Tla Amin Nation began long ago with our Ancestors and our leadership of the past. Many of those who were involved in shaping and advancing our vision have passed on and we acknowledge their contributions and sacrifice. They put in place the foundation that we have built upon today. Those respected ones have cleared the path so that we, the Tla Amin Nation, could achieve our vision.

A cornerstone

“This document is based on Tla Amin historical teachings and will form the democratic cornerstone of the relationship between the Tla Amin people and their government in the future. Community support is essential as we move toward treaty.” – George Abbott, BC minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation.