From L to R, Kwakiutl Hereditary Chief David Knox, Port Hardy Mayor Dennis Dugas, and Kwakiutl Chief Councillor Ross Hunt Jr. (District of Port Hardy photo)
PORT HARDY – On the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Douglas Treaty (1851) at the Municipal Hall on the traditional territory of the Kwakiutl people, Hereditary Chief David Knox, Chief Councillor Ross Hunt Jr. and Mayor Dennis Dugas signed the Kwakiutl First Nation and District of Port Hardy Relationship Agreement. Councillors and staff from each community watched over this important achievement and celebrated via Zoom.
“I am Honoured to be here and to have dialogue with the District of Port Hardy and to be present with Ross and Dennis to talk about how we can all work together for the future for the whole of the North Island. The more we can work together, the more we network the better off we all are as one big community,” said Hereditary Chief David Knox.
“This is one of the most important things I have been involved with as a Councillor and now as Mayor for the District. A big thank you goes to those who worked to get us here and how we all worked together to create an agreement that we can all work on together to strengthen our commitment to each other. Past Councillor Jessie Hemphill brought forward the idea of a First Nations Relations Committee and the importance to strengthen our relationship. This is the traditional territory of the Kwakiutl people and we need to work together to make it better for us all. We thank everyone from both communities for the desire to work together for the North Island. I am excited about this Relationship Agreement and our commitment to continue to work together,” said Mayor Dennis Dugas.
The Relationship Agreement is a document that will help the two communities work together through the purpose, principles & goals as follows:
Both Communities agree that their work together is intended to support and promote the well-being of the First Nation, the District, and the North Island as a whole.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action underlie all our work together.
The First Nation and the District agree to share information from the Federal Government, Province of British Columbia, Regional District of Mount Waddington and other similar bodies that directly or indirectly impacts this agreement and/or shared interests.
WHEREAS:
The Kwakiutl and the District are building a working relationship based on mutual respect, friendship and trust within the Traditional Territory of the Kwakiutl First Nation;
- Good communication is essential for maintaining a positive working relationship and reaching mutual agreement on any subject;
- The Communities recognize that working together pursuant to a cooperative government to government relationship that will facilitate the sharing of information, improve communications, and establish a solid foundation for future planning as good neighbours going forward.
- There is value to both Communities in working together to share information and build towards prior and informed consensus on a number of practical items in each Community.
On behalf of the Communities, Gilakas’la