Honoring the Past, Building the Future: The W̱SÁNEĆ Joint Statement

"Moving Forward and Speaking the Truth and Peace of Mind at Last"

Mar 03, 2025

On February 25, 2025, Canada, British Columbia, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), and W̱SI,KEM (Tseycum) took a historic step by signing the ŦE,ITḴEN,IST I SȽEW̱ ÁL,NOṈET SĆȺ,Í, Joint Statement. It is the first official recognition of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation as the beneficiary of, and successor to, the North Saanich and South Saanich Treaties of 1852.

The W̱SÁNEĆ Nation includes, but is not limited to, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) and W̱SI,KEM (Tseycum) First Nations.

This joint statement officially recognizes that there are divergent perspectives between the written and oral histories of the treaties, and was accomplished by W̱JOȽEȽP and W̱SI,KEM working together through the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council.

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The W̱SÁNEĆ people have always maintained that the agreements of 1852 were peace treaties, not land sales, which was the position held by governments. For generations, colonial policies such as the Indian Act fractured the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation. This joint statement is a step toward reversing the damage. It is not the end of the journey, but a new starting point from where we can build self-determined governance structures that reflect our unity, laws, and vision for the future.

I have always been raised with the teaching that W̱SÁNEĆ is one people. I have been surrounded by community leaders who have fought to have the agreement made between my W̱SÁNEĆ ancestors and the Crown representative James Douglas implemented. We are stronger together, and the path to self-determination is one we walk shoulder-to-shoulder.

There have been many attempts to align the political interests of W̱SÁNEĆ, bringing together what the federal and provincial governments intentionally fractured. However, we have yet to overcome the Indian band structure and create our own governance systems.

As a Member of the Legislative Assembly, I was honoured to support the Haida Nation, as they brought together decades of work to achieve the recognition of their title to their territory by both the provincial and federal governments.

This week, I am visiting Haida Gwaii to learn from them, and to work with people from other First Nations who are equally committed to overcoming the Indian band system and creating a pathway to a true self-determined future.

The W̱SÁNEĆ people survived a great flood, and a second flood of colonization in the W̱SÁNEĆ territory. We preserved our culture, our language, and our identity. Now, it is time we emerge from the past 173 years—together.

This is difficult and necessary work. It is about righting injustices of the past, but it is also about a hopeful vision for our future, bringing our political and cultural leadership together, standing side-by-side, as a powerful and collaborative force in the W̱SÁNEĆ territory.

When our ancestors agreed to the North and South Saanich treaties it should have created a future where they and the newcomers lived alongside one another, thriving together. That is not how it turned out. Yet! With this joint statement, we take a step toward the future our ancestors tried to create—W̱SÁNEĆ thriving on our own terms, in our own homeland.