Squamish Nation members have soundly rejected a proposal that would have seen the first nation's elected chiefs and council assume authority over land use on reserve lands from the federal government.
In two days of voting last Thursday and Friday (April 7 and 8), members voted 808 to 547 against the Squamish Land Code, a measure put forward by the chiefs and council that would have seen local leaders gain authority over land use and environmental protection over the 849 hectares of on-reserve land on the North Shore, in Gibsons and in the Squamish area.
The turnout was just over half of the 2,528 eligible voters.
In the days leading up to vote, leaders had urged the measure's passage, saying they felt it offered the nation a chance to cast away at least a portion of the "paternal structure" imposed under the Indian Act. Some members, though, expressed concern about provisions in the land code surrounding expropriation of land and about the potential for authority to be concentrated in the hands of a few leaders.
In a letter to members after the 59.6 per cent no vote, Band Manager Glen Newman, Chief Gibby Jacob and council co-chairs Byron Joseph and Krisandra Jacobs congratulated the membership on a "decisive and clear" vote "mandating that there will be no changes to the existing management of our Indian Reserve Lands.
"We will not pursue the proposed Land Code without further consent of the Membership. Our Nation will remain under the supervision of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for management of our Indian Reserve Lands."
The letter added, "Chiefs and Council look forward to hearing from Membership about ways to improve the system of land management on our Indian Reserves."
For more on this story, please see the April 15 print edition of The Chief.
