Approximately 2,276 hectares of territory on the east coast of Vancouver Island will be ceded to the Wei Wai Kumu Indigenous People.
signed the treaty. More than 2,200 hectares of land will be returned. It is a "significant milestone" in a treaty negotiation process that has taken more than 20 years, the officials said.
The transfer of her 2,276-hectare estate on the east coast of Vancouver Island to Wei Wykum will boost the economic activity of its 850 members, giving them access to the land. help make it possible. Carry out cultural activities and enjoy the benefits of forestry harvests.
This plot is estimated to provide an acceptable timber yield of approximately 17,000 cubic meters, worth $1.2 million annually.
The Royal Lands are to balance supporting the interests of Way Wy Kumu while maintaining public access to recreational sites such as Loveland Bay Provincial Park and British Columbia Necessary Areas. was selected to According to BC's Department of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation,
there are a handful of campsites on the property, which are managed by Wei Wai Kum, it said.
"This agreement and the return of land to our country are important milestones in the treaty negotiation process and ongoing reconciliation journey," Chief Chris Roberts said in a statement. I was.
"We are now the rightful beneficial owners of these land parcels and will resume their management and use in a sustainable manner that balances their economic, environmental and recreational value. This will benefit all inhabitants of the surrounding areas within our territories.”
It is made under a gradual treaty agreement, a legally binding agreement that provides relevant benefits.
The Ministry, the Federal Government and Wei Wai Khum are in the final stages of negotiations that have been ongoing since 1997. Discussions on this particular land parcel began in 2019.
In 2019, the We Wai Kai Nation — together with the Wei Wai Kum and the Kwiakah Nations, which make up a larger group called the Laich-Kwil Tach — signed an agreement to return over 3,000 hectares of land. signed.
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