The Lax Kw’alaams Band has filed a claim in Federal Court to correct a breach of trust by Canada in respect to the sale of reserve lands to the Grand Trunk Railway Company.
The original settlement agreement was put in place in 2002 but the band didn’t have all the information, said Lax Kw’alaams Band mayor Garry Reece.
“We entered into the 2002 agreement without full information and under conditions of unequal bargaining power and we are determined to ensure that our community receives the justice and compensation we deserve.”
Similar claims were brought up by the Metlakatla Nation, reaching a $150-million settlement. The Lax Kw’alaams Band is filing these claims to engage in meaningful conversation with the Canadian government and achieve a fair and reasonable resolution.
The band is simply seeking fair treatment, said Reece.
“Our people have lived in the Prince Rupert area since time immemorial. Canada’s actions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – and again in 2002 – deprived us of our land and our rightful compensation. We are asking the Court to make these wrongs right, in keeping with Canada’s stated commitment to reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
