O'Keefe Range Lands (Photo credit: OKIB)

By Pete McIntyre

Colonial Reserve

Band and Ottawa reach deal on Vernon area land claim

Mar 21, 2023 | 4:00 PM

The federal government has reached an agreement with the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) to settle a land claim that’s has been under negotiation for 11 years.

OKIB Chief Byron Louis and Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations Marc Miller said the deal will see the government make an advance payment of $30 million to the band to be applied against the anticipated settlement of the Colonial Reserve IR 1 Specific Claim.

“This advance payment can be used by OKIB with its purchase of the O’Keefe Range Lands, which are located within the claim area, adjacent to Okanagan IR 1, and in the City of Vernon,” Miller said. “Expanding their lands will support the community as they advance their vision of self-determination.”

Canada and OKIB have been in negotiations to resolve the Colonial Reserve claim for 11 years, and will continue working in partnership to achieve a final settlement as soon as possible.

The specific claim addresses disputed lands OKIB asserts were allocated to it in 1861 under the instruction of Governor Douglas, but were then reduced in size by the colonial government of British Columbia in 1865, without consulting the community.

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Louis thanked Miller for his involvement in the agreement involving the very important claim.

“Canada showed great foresight with this agreement, which will allow us to take advantage of a rare opportunity to expand our reserve lands. We’ve been negotiating for over 11 years and now need to work with Canada to take the final steps to resolve the claim itself,” Louis stated.

Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis at the unveiling of the Canoe Bay interpretive sign to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2021. (file photo/Liam Verster/Vernon Matters)

Miller said this is the first time the Government of Canada has made an advance payment to a First Nation community to be applied against an anticipated specific claim settlement.

“This agreement marks a long overdue step in Canada’s relationship with OKIB,” the minister said.

Negotiations on the Colonial Reserve began in 2011.

Since 2016, the federal government has settled more than 241 specific claims with First Nations, totalling $7.5 billion in compensation.