North Island First Nations planning to engage in free trade with Indigenous communities in the U.S.

Topic(s): Economic Development, Employment, Self-Sufficiency
Source: CHEK News

As a possible workaround to the escalating tariffs and duties from the United States, a group of B.C. First Nations is exploring a bold plan to engage in free trade with Indigenous communities in the United States.

“We can’t keep getting cut to death here. We’re dying by a death of a thousand tariffs. We need to find something that’s going to get us through this,” said Dallas Smith, Nanwakolas Council president.

Nanwakolas Council is made up of six First Nations: The MamalilikullaTlowitsis, Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala, Wei Wai KumWe Wai Kai, and K’ómoks First Nations.

The council is talking seriously with Indigenous Nations to the south about cross-border nation-to-nation free trade, to circumvent escalating American duties on softwood lumber.

“There’s been a lot of interest,” said Smith.

There’s also been a lot of nerves. No American Nations wanted to speak with CHEK News for fear of retaliation prior to plans being set in motion.

Progress since last free trade attempt was shut down

“I think there’s a real opportunity here,” said B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee.

“In past years, past decades, First Nations have tried, but those authorities, such as the United States and Canada, came in and imposed their authority I suppose. But there’s got to be some way we can freely trade with our Indigenous people south of the border,” said Teegee.

Since those last ‘failed’ attempts at North American free trade between Nations, Teegee thinks things have changed in Canada, with recent Supreme Court decisions moving the needle forward on Indigenous self-governance and self-determination, along with the provincial and federal passing of legislation acknowledging the Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP and DRIPA).

“For reconciliation and all this stuff around DRIPA and UNDRIP, for it to really hold water and have any meaning, we have to test it,” said Smith.

“Is the government of Canada going to support us as we take some of these bold initiative steps?”

The United States is a different beast. There, Nanwakolas Council is relying on a treaty signed in 1794: The Jay Treaty.

The treaty allows certain First Nations to cross the Canada-U.S. border freely to work, study and live. The United States recognizes these rights. Canada does not.

There’s also the current Canadian-United States-Mexico Agreement or (CUSMA), which 
incorporates a general exception that clearly confirms that the government can adopt or maintain measures it deems necessary to fulfill its legal obligations to Indigenous peoples.”

Putting legislation to the test, soon

The group of six nations is planning to put the legislation aforementioned on both sides of the border to the test, soon.

“The mobilization of the idea and the theory, I think we’ll see some movement over the next couple months,” said Smith.

If the cross-border nation-to-nation free trade is a success for the forestry industry, Smith says there’s no reason why it wouldn’t work for other industries.

“I think there’s room around salmon, I think there’s room around shellfish. I think there’s room around a number of different resource matters that can be applicable to the kind of highway we’re trying to develop,” said Smith. “If we can build a bit of road map to get one resource over there, there’s no reason why others couldn’t follow suit.”