Musqueam recently reached two major milestones in rights recognition negotiations:
- signing of a Revenue Sharing Agreement with Canada to receive revenue from the ground lease at YVR airport
- initialling the Musqueam Self-Government Agreement
These agreements are a result of years of negotiations and are guided by Musqueam’s rights strategy, which seeks to implement aspects of our ancestral rights, including title, without defining or diminishing them.
Musqueam signs agreement with Canada to receive portion of revenue from YVR lease
On Monday, February 24, Musqueam signed an historic Revenue Sharing Agreement with the Government of Canada.
The agreement commits Canada to sharing some of the revenue the government receives annually from the ground lease of the Vancouver airport (YVR) with Musqueam. This is the first time that the federal government has ever entered into an agreement to share revenues of a capital asset.
This agreement is part of broader negotiations between Canada and Musqueam that are advancing the recognition and incremental implementation of our rights.
Musqueam and all First Nations have an inherent right to share the wealth that is generated from our ancestral lands, waters, and resources.
By signing this agreement, Canada is recognizing this right and signaling its commitment to a renewed and collaborative relationship with Musqueam.
The revenue sharing agreement was signed by Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and a counterpart on behalf of the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.
Council, community, negotiators, and media were invited to witness the signing event, which was hosted by Councillor Alec Guerin and included remarks from Chief Sparrow and Minister Anandasangaree. Chief negotiator Wendy Grant John spoke to the significance of the agreement, and the strength of our past leaders who sacrificed their lives to protect Musqueam’s rights and create an opportunity to continue their work for future generations.
Musqueam and Canada take a key step forward with self-government agreement initialling
On Friday, March 7, Minister Anandasangaree was back in Musqueam to initial the Musqueam Self-Government Agreement, marking another milestone in Musqueam’s long-history of resisting colonial oppression.
Ever since the Indian Act was established, Musqueam has worked to restore our sovereignty and self-determination through the courts, negotiations, and direct action. This agreement is a continuation of the work of past leaders, and it will be a tool for future generations of Musqueam leaders to push our rights far beyond what we’ve ever thought possible under Crown law.
The Musqueam Self-Government Agreement enables Musqueam to work towards self-governance in a gradual way. We will only begin implementing law-making authority when we are ready, and only in a few areas at a time.
The agreement was initialled on behalf of Musqueam by Councillor Alec Guerin, who has been involved with Musqueam’s self-government negotiations since 2018, and Crown negotiator Susan Durieux. Chief Wayne Sparrow and the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree initialled as witnesses.
In addition to remarks from Chief Sparrow and Minister Anandasangaree, former Musqueam Councillor Rosalind Campbell spoke about the work of our past leaders that enabled us to reached this milestone.
Musqueam still has significant work to do before the agreement is approved by community, signed by leadership, and eventually implemented.
In the coming months and years, there will be many opportunities for community to learn about what self-governance means for Musqueam and add input to a future Musqueam Constitution. We want the constitution to reflect everyone’s voices, and for members to make an informed decision on whether to ratify (approve) the agreement – which itself is an act of self-determination.
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Thank you to everyone who worked hard to negotiate these landmark agreements, especially our past leaders, whose acts of self-determination directly resulted in these opportunities Musqueam has today.
