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THURS., DECEMBER 13, 2012 EDITORIAL Page 6
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Take that, rat!
The Mouse Queen (Allison Briscoe) and the Nutcracker Prince (Avory Collins) are backed by their supporters as they square off in the battle scene in J.R. Rardon Portside Academy’s Nutcracker performance in Port McNeill. See more on page 12 and at www.northislandgazette.com.
‘Namgis join aboriginal land pact By J.R. Rardon Gazette editor VICTORIA—The ‘Namgis First Nation became the latest signatory as the Province of British Columbia and the Nanwakolas Council renewed a resource-sharing agreement covering 4.5 million hectares of Northern
Vancouver Island and the adjacent coast. Chief Bill Cranmer and a contingent of singers from the Alert Bay band attended the signing ceremony, held Monday at the B.C. Legislature. “It’s an agreement with Nanwakolas First Nations, which now number 10 first
nations in our language group,” said Cranmer. “It will be a continuation of the work the Nanwakolas does to benefit first nations in referrals, revenue sharing and everything to do with resources in the area.” The original agreement was signed in 2007 with six member nations. The
three-year extension signed Monday included for the first time the ‘Namgis and the We Wai Kai Nations, who added a combined 1.1 million hectares of asserted traditional territory. “The other important area covered by the Nanwakolas is the shared, or overlapping territories of the 10
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member nations,” said Cranmer. “That’s in both dispute resolution and revenue sharing. If we have resource revenues we agree to share in it instead of arguing over whose territory we’re in.” Nanwakolas Council president Dallas Smith said other B.C. First Nations
were skeptical of his group entering into forestry, mining and hydroelectric power deals without having treaties. But since it was established in 2007, the number
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