What is the Lower Mainland Treaty Advisory Committee (LMTAC)?
- The Lower Mainland Treaty Advisory Committee (LMTAC) represents
and coordinates the collective interests of local governments and
through them their
constituents, in defining and building relationships
between First Nations and other orders of government.
- There are 26 individual local government jurisdictions
represented on LMTAC; 23 municipalities and 3 regional districts,
including Metro Vancouver, Squamish-Lillooet and Sunshine
Coast regional districts.
- LMTAC acts as full members of the British Columbia treaty
negotiating team and was established to provide input into
negotiations with five Lower Mainland area First Nations:
Katzie, Musqueam, Squamish, Tsawwassen and Tsleil-Waututh
(Burrard).
- To
effectively act on its mission statement,
LMTAC has established the following priority roles. To:
1. Communicate the collective interests of local
government, in area treaty processes, to provincial,
federal and First Nation governments;
2. Advise and educate about local government and
First Nation roles and interests in area treaty processes;
3. Monitor, and where necessary, respond to
non-treaty Aboriginal issues that may impact collective
local government interests; and
4. Facilitate the development of effective working
relationships between local governments and First Nations.
- LMTAC is the largest Treaty Advisory Committee in British
Columbia and the only one comprised mainly of urban local
governments.
How and Why Was LMTAC Formed?
- In 1991, discussions commenced between the Union of British
Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) and the Province of British
Columbia regarding the role of local government in treaty
negotiations.
- These discussions resulted in the recognition that local
government was not a third party interest at the treaty
table. Local governments are public governments responsible
to the constituents who elect them and the most likely to
have day-to-day interaction with First Nations communities
in the post-treaty environment, particularly in the urban
setting.
- In 1993, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the
UBCM and the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs was signed recognizing
that Local Government constituted "a unique and special
government interest in the negotiations." The MOU helped
to ensure that local governments became full members of
provincial negotiating team.
- In September 1994, the implementation of the MOU began.
Local governments within the traditional territories of
Aboriginal groups in the treaty process formed "Treaty Advisory
Committees" (TACs).
- In
January 2003, a new MOU (between the Province of BC and
UBCM on local government participation in the negotiation
of treaties and other agreements) was signed. The
MOU replaces the previous agreements.
- LMTAC is one of 17 Treaty Advisory Committees formed throughout
British Columbia.
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