Northeast | British Columbia Assembly of First Nations

Languages	FN Population	Total Pop’n	Pop’n % FN
Dane-Zaa Nēhiyawēwin Dene K’e Tse’khene Anishnaubemowin	4,712	65,700	7.17%

Regional Description

The Northeast region encompasses 202,502 square kilometres of land, making up approximately 22% of B.C.’s total land base. The region shares a border with Alberta and the Yukon and is part of the Peace River Basin. It is separated from the northwestern part of the province by the Rocky Mountain Trench. The main population and commercial centres in the region are Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. Approximately 7% of the region’s 68,700 residents are First Nations.

With much of the region lying east of the Rockies, the physical geography of the Northeast is distinct from much of the rest of the province: a vast and remote area of foothills, forests, lakes and the Peace River valley. The eastern region beyond the Rockies is the traditional territory of the Dene Tha’ cultural group and further north, the Acho Dene Koe. The mountainous western border of the region is considered traditional Kaska Dena territory.

See the Northeast map

The traditional economy of the Dene Tha’ and Acho Dene Koe cultural groups was based on a semi-nomadic hunting and gathering society. The less mountainous nature of the terrain east of the Rockies facilitated relatively easy and efficient movement throughout the territory. Being so far north, the colonial economic influence on the region began later than in the south of the province. In the early twentieth century, numerous regional First Nations signed onto Treaty 8 (drafted originally in 1899), which secured access to and protection of the lands upon the traditional economy was built.
The twentieth century brought colonial settlements and growth logging industry took over from the early colonial fur trade as the dominant economic driver. With European settlement also came cattle ranching and dairy production. Recent years have seen rapid growth of the energy sector and increased employment in the region, with an increased number of non-residents moving to the region to join the labour force. However, as is often the case in remote resource-based economies, great challenges exist in mitigating the boom-bust cycles of resource extraction, and relatedly, ensuring that developments do not impinge on the rights and quality of life of First Nations and local stakeholders who must live with the consequences of development in immediate proximity.
Similarly to other vast, sparsely-populated regions in B.C., the contemporary Northeastern economy is based on natural resources, particularly natural gas production and coal mining. As of 2016, there were 62 major projects operational in the area with a combined value of over $3.7 billion, most of which are in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Another important industry is utilities, due to the power demand from industrial activity in the region. There are many power-generating projects in the planning stages; these include the proposed $7.9 billion B.C. Hydro Site C project. The Site C dam is poised to contribute to economic growth in the region, but opponents worry about the significant flooding of Peace River Valley it would entail, among other concerns. Other important industries are rooted in the earlier regional economy and continue to be important economic drivers in the region. These include logging, wood products manufacturing and agriculture.
Development corporations— owned collectively by aligned Nations or by individual First Nations— are the primary vehicles by which First Nations pursue and advocate for sustainable economic development, and can be explored through the Community Profiles Section of this database.
Treaty 8 Tribal Association is a service delivery organization for six First Nations in northeastern B.C. that are signatories to Treaty 8: Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River, Saulteau, West Moberly, and Fort Nelson First Nations. It acts as a coordinator and facilitator, providing technical support on various issues as mandated by its member Nations.
Kaska Dena Council was formed to advance the interests of Kaska groups and individuals, primarily in treaty settlement discussions. It is made up of five Kaska communities across northern B.C. and the southern Yukon. B.C. bands include Daylu Dena Council and Dease River First Nation.