History

For far too long, a gap has existed in the social, economic and cultural realities of BC’s Aboriginal people. Our people have higher rates of diabetes, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality and suicide than other British Columbians. Education and literacy rates are well below provincial averages, and more poverty exists in First Nation communities than any other group in Canadian society. Native languages are disappearing at an alarming rate, and First Nation people are struggling to maintain ties to their cultural traditions within the context of a world that does not understand or value these traditions.

On a positive note, the federal and provincial governments and the Supreme Court of Canada, together with First Nation leadership in this province, have recently recognized that something must be done to address the inequities faced by BC’s First Nations. In 1994, the Supreme Court delivered two significant rulings. In both the Haida and Tligit cases, the Court ruled that the government must consult with First Nations regarding activities on Crown Land that might impact Aboriginal rights and title. Impacted by these rulings, the Provincial government and BC's First Nations leadership agreed to the vision laid out in the New Relationship.

Provincial legislation was passed (the New Relationship Trust Act) to create the New Relationship Trust Corporation and on March 31, 2006, the Province transferred $100 million to the NRT. The Trust Fund is intended to assist First Nation communities to enhance their capacity to participate in the processes and activities that arise from the New Relationship within BC.

In accordance with the legislation, the First Directors of the NRT undertook a Province-wide regional engagement process, consulting with BC First Nation communities to determine their foremost priorities and needs. The results of that process were used to create the Trust’s first ever three-year Strategic Plan. Based on the feedback of our communities, priorities identified for the first three years (2007 – 2010) are:
• Capacity;
• Education;
• Culture/Language;
• Youth & Elders;
• Economic Development.

More on the results of the 2006 Regional Engagement Process.

Download the Strategic Plan (2007 – 2010) (pdf).