By moving forward with a collective vision, the Alliance helps make these goals more visible, more coordinated, and more impactful.
Formed in 2018 by Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Chek’tles7et’h’ First Nations, Tla’amin Nation, Toquaht Nation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, the Alliance welcomed Nisg̱a’a Nation as a member in 2019. Today, all eight Modern Treaty Nations in British Columbia work collectively through the Alliance to strengthen treaty implementation.
By working together as an Alliance, BC Modern Treaty Nations can combine efforts and share insights. A small staff is employed to coordinate and facilitate collaborative engagement efforts, and to provide centralized support for collective work done primarily with the Province of British Columbia. At the federal level, the Land Claims Agreement Coalition (LCAC) provides a collaborative forum for Nations with land claims across Canada, including BC Modern Treaty Nations.
In March 2022, a landmark agreement was signed between the Province of British Columbia and the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations. This agreement established the Shared Priorities Framework, a renewed commitment by B.C. to modern treaty implementation that identifies joint work areas, coordination mechanisms, and accountability pathways between the Province and Modern Treaty Nations. The Framework now guides much of the collective engagement between the parties.
By working together, Modern Treaty Nations strengthen their influence, share expertise, and address implementation issues that are difficult to resolve individually. This collaboration helps protect treaty rights, improve implementation, and promote provincial policies that reflect modern treaty realities. Presenting a unified voice increases visibility, consistency, and impact, while each Nation maintains independent decision-making.
This collective approach transforms shared challenges into opportunities, supporting stronger Nations, relationships, and outcomes for future generations.
The Alliance is made up of the eight Modern Treaty Nations in British Columbia
K’alii-Aksim-Lisims, the Nass River, flows through a land of sacred mountains and dense forests on Canada’s Pacific Coast. The Nisg̱a’a people have lived in the Nass River Valley since before recorded time. The Nisg̱a’a Final Agreement, British Columbia’s first modern treaty, recognizes Nisg̱a’a Lands and Nisg̱a’a Government.
Nisg̱a’a Nation
The Tla’amin Nation, located on the Sunshine Coast just north of qathet (Powell River), has lived in harmony with this region for thousands of years. After more than two decades of negotiations, the Tla’amin Final Agreement was signed in 2014 and came into effect in 2016, establishing the Nation as a self-governing modern treaty government.
Tla’amin Nation
The t̓uk̓ʷaaʔatḥ are the people of Toquaht Bay, Mayne Bay, and western Barkley Sound, part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations who have lived along Vancouver Island’s west coast for over 10,000 years. As one of the five Nations in the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, Toquaht belongs to a coastal alliance whose name means “villages along the coast” in the nuučaan̓uł langua
Toquaht Nation
Huu-ay-aht First Nations is a self-governing Modern Treaty Nation rooted in the western Barkley Sound region, where its people have lived on and cared for their hahuułi since time immemorial. Through the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, Huu-ay-aht holds full jurisdiction over more than 8,200 hectares of land and continues to pursue a sustainable, prosperous future guided by long-held principles and community leadership.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations
Tsawwassen First Nation is a Coast Salish community in the Lower Mainland, near the U.S. border and the City of Delta. In 2009, it became British Columbia’s first Modern Treaty Nation under the BC Treaty Process. The treaty provides TFN with full ownership of its land, governance authority, and fiscal powers.
Tsawwassen First Nation
The Uchucklesaht Tribe is a resilient Nuu-chah-nulth community whose people have lived for generations within the ancient forests, salmon-bearing rivers, and rich marine ecosystems of their ḥaḥuułi in Uchucklesit Inlet on Vancouver Island’s west coast. As a signatory to the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, the Nation uses its treaty authorities to advance sustainable development, cultural revitalization, and a strong future.
Uchucklesaht Tribe
The Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government is a modern treaty Nation based in the community of hitac̓u on the west coast of Vancouver Island. As a signatory to the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, the Nation exercises jurisdiction over nearly 5,500 hectares of Treaty Land and continues to strengthen Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ and Nuu-chah-nulth identity through self-governance, education, and community programs.
Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government
Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations have inhabited their territories on the Pacific west coast of Vancouver Island for millennia. As a signatory to the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, the Nations govern under their own laws and treaty authorities, strengthening cultural resurgence while building a healthy, thriving, and self-determined future for their people.
Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’ / Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations