2002 British Columbia Indigenous treaty referendum facts for kids
The BC Treaty Referendum was a special vote held across British Columbia, Canada. It was about how the government should handle agreements, called treaties, with First Nations people.
In the spring of 2002, the leader of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell, and his government, the British Columbia Liberal Party, sent voting papers to everyone registered to vote in the province.
What Was the Vote About?
This special vote, called a referendum, asked people to agree or disagree with eight main ideas. These ideas were meant to guide how the government would talk about treaties with First Nations.
Here are the eight ideas people voted on:
- 1. Private land should not be taken away for treaty agreements. (Yes/No)
- 2. Agreements for renting land or using resources should be respected. If businesses are affected, they should get fair payment. (Yes/No)
- 3. Everyone in British Columbia should still be able to hunt, fish, and enjoy nature on public land. (Yes/No)
- 4. Parks and protected areas should stay open for everyone in British Columbia to use and enjoy. (Yes/No)
- 5. Rules for managing natural resources and protecting the environment should be the same all over the province. (Yes/No)
- 6. First Nations governments should work like local governments, getting their powers from the Canadian and BC governments. (Yes/No)
- 7. Treaties should include ways for First Nations governments and nearby local governments to plan land use together. (Yes/No)
- 8. Special tax rules for First Nations people should gradually be removed. (Yes/No)
Voters were told that if they voted "Yes" for an idea, the government would have to follow it during treaty talks. If they voted "No," the government would not be forced to follow that idea.
What Happened After the Vote?
Many people had concerns about how the vote was set up. For example, some thought the questions were confusing. The first question was phrased in a way that might have made it hard for some voters to know if their "Yes" or "No" meant support. The fourth question was written so positively that almost everyone would say "Yes."
Also, the eighth question about tax rules was tricky. The special tax rules for Status Indians come from a federal law called the Indian Act. This means the provincial government in BC cannot change these rules on its own.
It was also unclear what impact the vote would have. The government didn't say how many "Yes" votes an idea needed to become binding. They also didn't say if they might still consider ideas even if many people voted "No."
The government called the vote an "experiment" in letting people directly decide. However, a representative from a polling company called Angus Reid Public Opinion said it was a very unprofessional way to ask the public what they wanted.
Many groups called for people to not vote in the referendum. Some First Nations groups even collected voting papers to destroy them publicly. This boycott was supported by several religious groups, labour unions, and environmental organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation.
By the deadline of May 15, 35.84% of the voting papers were returned to Elections BC. This was 763,480 votes. More than 80% of these votes agreed with all eight ideas. However, between 55,000 and 60,000 votes for each question were not counted because they were filled out incorrectly.
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