A financial agreement this week between the federal government and the Okanagan Indian Band has sealed the sale of the O’Keefe range lands near Vernon.
Two years ago, the band reached an agreement to buy the range lands, which encompass 2,300 acres, with band members voting in favour of the purchase in February 2022.
However, one of the band’s concerns was the $26.8 million price tag, with the OKIB noting it had two options: receive federal money or take out a bank loan.
On Monday, the first option came into play, with the federal government announcing it was giving $30 million to the OKIB, with the money to be applied against an anticipated land claim.
Crown Indigenous Relations says the claim is about disputed lands that the OKIB asserts were allocated to it in 1861, but were then reduced in size by the province in 1865.
“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,” said the federal government.
“Expanding their lands will support the community as they advance their vision of self-determination.”
Crown Indigenous Relations said this was the first time the federal government “has made an advance payment to a First Nation community to be applied against an anticipated specific claim settlement.”
The Crown continued, saying “we will continue working with First Nations to find and implement innovative solutions like this one, including the development of a fuller framework for advance payments. These solutions will help reduce delays and barriers that First Nations face during the specific claims process, so Canada can live up to its obligations as a Treaty partner and address historical wrongs.”
In agreeing to buy the O’Keefe range in November 2021, OKIB Chief Byron Louis said “opportunities to expand the reserve do not come around often and we are in a good position to act. For posterity, we need to add these 2,310 acres back to the reserve.”
The federal government noted that negotiations with the OKIB over the claim have been going on for 11 years, and are still in the works.
“This agreement marks a long overdue step in Canada’s relationship with OKIB,” said Marc Miller, minister of Crown Indigenous Relations. “After 11 years of negotiations due to broken relationships and trust, Canada is taking a step to renew our relationship with the community and to be a Treaty partner that First Nations deserve.”
“We acknowledge and thank Minister Miller for his involvement in the agreement to provide OKIB with an advance payment of $30 million with respect to this very important claim,” said Chief Louis.
“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.”
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