The First Nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty are made up of five First Nations:
- Huu-ay-aht First Nations (pronounced hoo-way-ut)
- Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h First Nations (pronounced kai-yoo-kut/chek-les-ut)
- Toquaht Nation (pronounced toe-kwaht)
- Uchucklesaht Tribe (pronounced you-chuk-les-ut)
- Yuʔłuʔiłʔatḥ First Nation (pronounced Yoo-thlew-ilth-uhht) formerly Ucluelet First Nation
On April 1, 2011 the Maa-nulth Treaty came into effect. On the Effective Date, the five First Nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty moved into the sixth and final stage of the B.C. Treaty Commission process -- implementation. This is the first modern treaty to be concluded on Vancouver Island, home to more than 50 First Nations. It is also the first multi-nation Treaty concluded under the BC Treaty Commission process. Implementation of the treaty caps more than 15 years of negotiations and is a significant achievement in the B.C. treaty process.
On June 18, 2009 the federal government gave royal assent to the Maa-nulth treaty. This was the last step in what has been a long journey towards a final agreement for the five First Nations negotiating as part of the Maa-nulth treaty. Provincial legislation to ratify the agreement was introduced to the Legislative Assembly on November 21, 2007; it received Royal Assent on November 29, 2007.
In October 2007, all five First Nations voted in favour of accepting the Final Agreement. Of those who voted, close to 80 per cent were in favour of the treaty.
The Maa-nulth Final Agreement is the second to take effect under the BCTC process.
- The First Nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty entered the treaty process in January 1994 as part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council treaty table.
- The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, British Columbia and Canada initialled a draft Agreement-in-Principle in 2001.
- Six of the 12 First Nations negotiating as part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council approved the Agreement-in-Principle. Five of these First Nations joined together to form the Maa-nulth First Nations Treaty Society.
- The First Nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty initialled a Final Agreement in December 2006.
- Each of the five First Nations held a vote on the Final Agreement.
- The Huu-ay-aht First Nations voted to accept the Final Agreement on July 28, 2007. Of the 303 ballots cast, a resounding 90 per cent, or 272 votes, were in favour of the treaty.
- The remaining four First Nations – the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h First Nations, the Toquaht Nation, the Uchucklesaht Tribe and the Yuʔłuʔiłʔatḥ First Nation (formerly Ucluelet First Nation) – all voted in favour of the Final Agreement in October 2007.
- Provincial legislation to ratify the Maa-nulth Final Agreement was introduced to the Legislative Assembly on November 21, 2007; it received Royal Assent on November 29, 2007.
- On June 18, 2009 the federal government gave royal assent to the Maa-nulth treaty. The First Nations of the Maa-nulth Treaty are now in the final stage (stage 6) of the treaty process — implementation.
- The Maa-nulth Treaty Effective Date was April 1, 2011.
Negotiating status: Final Agreement has moved to its Effective Date and now enters the Implementation phase, the sixth and final stage of the BC Treaty Commission process.
Location: On the west coast of Vancouver Island surrounding Barkley Sound and Kyuquot Sound, including the towns of Bamfield, Port Alberni, Ucluelet, and Campbell River.
Band members: There are 1,978 members in total from five distinct First Nations groups.
Maa-nulth means: Villages along the coast (in Nuu-chah-nulth language).
