This is one option that has been discussed. There are several other options that have also been suggested. These options will all have to be priced out before a decision is made.
The opening of businesses will be governed by our laws. It is most likely that anyone will be able to apply to the K’ómoks administration for a business license, however that will have to be determined after community consultation.
Currently, if your home is on an Indian reserve, you can only leave that home to an ‘Indian’. After treaty, the community will have to determine which rules will apply. For example, it is possible that the community will decide that lands of former reserves can only be left to band members. It is also possible that the community may decide that lands can be left to anyone. This is an important issue that will have to be decided on prior to the vote on the Treaty.
For the most part, the Treaty will create opportunities for members, but it is not a social program. At the same time, the Treaty will have several sources of revenue. There will be numerous economic opportunities created through the ownership of K’ómoks Lands and well as through the new forest tenures. There will be the income from the Capital Transfer, tax revenues (property tax, income tax and sales tax from Members and non-members), and from Revenue Sharing which is still being negotiated. These revenues will flow to the K’ómoks First Nation. There may also be money from Impact Benefit Agreements with [...]
Treaty enables us to have clear title to our lands. Treaty also enables us to sell lands to third party non-members if we wish. Treaty also enables us to place restrictions on whom we sell lands to. We have not yet determined what sort of restrictions there will be on the sale of lands. The current thinking, from consultation with our band members, is that lands at our K’ómoks IR#1 on the K’ómoks Estuary should only be owned by KFN Members. This is something the K’ómoks First Nation will eventually decide on in consultation with the community, and subject to our [...]
There are limited economic opportunities on the reserve lands currently occupied by K’ómoks. Our land base will change from 813.5 acres, to over 12,500 acres owned by K’ómoks once the Treaty is fully implemented. Currently, we do not own our Indian reserves. These are owned by the federal government. We have the right to live on these reserves, but we cannot do many things on them without the permission of the Minister of Indian Affairs. Now that the Land Code is in effect, we have a lot more say over our I.R. lands, as Ministerial consent is no longer be required. [...]
