Snuneymuxw First Nation chief Mike Wyse and Minister of Indigenous-Crown Relations Carolyn Bennett reading the letter of understanding before signing on Monday, Aug. 26. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

letter of understanding

Letter signing helps Snuneymuxw First Nation and Canadian gov’t paddle in the same direction

Aug 26, 2019 | 7:47 AM

NANAIMO — An important document in the path of Snuneymuxw First Nation having traditional lands returned to them is now signed.

SFN chief Mike Wyse and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett signed a letter of understanding on Monday, Aug. 26.

Wyse said the letter of understanding puts onto paper how discussions and negotiations about the return of traditional lands to SFN will continue going forward.

“It puts out the understanding of all the work done by Snuneymuxw and Canada,” Wyse said after the signing. “It maps out how the relationship is to move forward, how we’re going to do business and communications moving forward.”

Wyse said the many traditional lands scattered throughout Nanaimo are never far from their minds, specifically the roughly 200 acres across from Vancouver Island University.

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The lands were previously owned by the Department of National Defence but transferred to the Crown-Indigenous Relations ministry in 2003.

Wyse said SFN negotiators brought the transfer of those lands to the federal government, who came back to the table with the letter of understanding.

Minister Bennett said the federal government remains committed to the transfer of lands, though there’s no timeline in place.

She likened the signed of the letter of understanding to both SFN and the Canadian government paddling along the same river together.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit

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