Nisga'a treaty overcomes one hurdle.

• Author: Mildon, Marsha

In April, the Nisga'a Treaty was passed in the British Columbia Provincial Legislature amidst a hue and cry of accusations of everything from tyranny to racism. Ratified first by more than 2/3 of the Nisga'a people, this first modern treaty now must be passed by the federal Parliament to take effect.

The final battle against passage in BC was fought on the question of whether the BC government should use closure to expedite the passage of the bill. This Treaty has been in the process of negotiation for over 20 years; the agreement in principle was signed over three years ago and its provisions were available to the public. Then, after the Nisga'a themselves voted to approve the Treaty, it went to the provincial Legislature where it had 120 hours of debate, more debate than any other bill...