Kitsumkalum First Nation members are voting this week on whether to ratify the Kitsumkalum Treaty and self-government constitution — a major milestone in a process that began more than three decades ago.
Voting is open online, by telephone, and in person at the community poll on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The ratification vote is the first step before the treaty can take legal effect.
The Kitsumkalum Treaty, known as A Living Agreement, was initialled in June 2024 by Kitsumkalum, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia, marking the conclusion of substantive negotiations. Following a year of legal and technical review, the ratification version was finalized in June 2025.
To pass, the treaty requires a double majority: at least 50 percent of eligible voters must participate, and more than 50 percent of those must vote in favour. If successful, both B.C. and Canada will complete their own approval processes, including legislation to bring the treaty into law.
If ratified by all three parties, the agreement could take effect in 2028. It would recognize Kitsumkalum’s Aboriginal rights, establish self-government and law-making authority, confirm ownership of treaty lands, and set out shared management of natural resources.
