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Timeline

1579 | Sir Francis Drake
claims Canada's West Coast
for England

1742 | Russians start
trading in Pacific Northwest

1834 | Hudson's Bay Company
established at Fort (Port) Simpson
on Nass River

1870 | Province of British Columbia
unilaterally denies existence of aboriginal title

1884 | Federal Indian Act amended
to outlaw cultural and religious ceremonies
including Potlatch

1887 | Nisga'a Chiefs travel by water to
Victoria to discuss Nisga'a Land Question;
they are turned away on the steps of the
Legislature by Premier William Smithe

1909 | Nisga'a Land
Committee joins with other
northcoast tribes to form
the Native Tribes of BC

1913 | Nisga'a Land Committee submits
Petition to British Privy Council in London

1931 | Native Brotherhood of BC
is formed to keep the Land Question alive

1951 | Parliament repeals
provisions of the Indian Act
that outlawed the Potlatch
and prohibited land claims
activity

1960 | Aboriginal people
granted the right to vote in federal elections; Ottawa
begins to phase out
residential schools

1973 | The Calder Decision: Supreme Court of
Canada rules that the Nisga'a had held aboriginal
title before settlers came but the judges split evenly on land title; Jean Chretien, Minister of Indian Affairs, announces federal intention to settle claims

1976 | Nisga'a begin negotiating with Ottawa; BC
government attends as observer; the federal government
adopts a "comprehensive land claims policy"; the Nisga'a
claim is the only one in BC started under this new policy

 

1991 | Delgamuukw Decision: The BC Court of
Appeal rules that the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en
people have "unextinguished, non-exclusive
aboriginal rights, other than right of ownership" to
much of their traditional territory

1996 | On March 22, Nisga'a Tribal Council President
Joseph Gosnell, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Ronald Irwin and BC Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Cashore sign
the Nisga'a Agreement in Principle at an historic ceremony held in Gitlaxt'aamiks, paving the way for a final agreement

1998 | On December 2, Nisga'a Chief Joseph Gosnell
is welcomed inside the BC Legislature by Premier Glen Clark;
formal debate begins in the Legislature

1999 | On May 5, Chief Gosnell and
Indian Affairs Minister Jane Stewart sign
the Final Agreement; legislation to be introduced
in the fall session of the House

1793 | British sea captain George Vancouver sails into Observatory Inlet for first recorded contact between Nisga'a and Europeans

 1858 | Colony of British Columbia established 1864 | Mission established at Gingolx; at Gitlaxt'aamiks in 1878

1877 | First cannery on Nass River built; Canada restricts traditional aboriginal fishing rights

1885 | Three Nisga'a Chiefs travel to Ottawa to meet with Prime Minister John A. Macdonald to discuss Nisga'a Land Question 1889 | Aboriginal fishers are excluded from commercial fishing until 1923

1890 | Establishment of
first Nisga'a Land Committee

 1910 | In Prince Rupert, Prime Minister Laurier promises to settle the Land Question

1920 | Compulsory attendance of aboriginal children in schools

1924 | Nisga'a allotted 76 square kilometres of reserve land 1927 | Ottawa prohibits aboriginal people from organizing to discuss Land Question

1949 | Nisga'a Chief Frank Calder is elected to the BC Legislature 1955 | Nisga'a Land Committee is re-established as the Nisga'a Tribal Council; Frank Calder is elected first president

1968 | Nisga'a take the Land Question to BC Supreme Court

1982 | Constitution of Canada recognizes and affirms aboriginal title 1990 | Province of British Columbia, under Premier William Vander Zalm, formally enters Nisga'a negotiations 1991 | BC Government recognizes both aboriginal title and the Nisga'a right to self-government; a tri-partite framework agreement is signed

1998 | On August 4 in Gitlaxt'aamiks, Nisga'a Treaty is initialed, making news around the world

1999 | On April 22, at 5:50 pm, the British Columbia Legislature ratifies the Nisga'a Treaty (Bill 51) by a vote of 39 to 32. The scene now shifts to Ottawa

1999 | Aug. 21, 1999, Prime Minister and Madame Chretien and family visit New Aiyansh where the Prime Minister promised the Nisga'a Treaty would be passed by the House of Commons in the fall. It was Mr. Chretien's first visit to the Nass River valley since a trip as Indian Affairs minister 30 years ago. 1999 |Dec. 13, 1999. After a fierce debate, Nisga'a Treaty legislation passes second reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 217-48. It was then referred to the Senate.