ABOUT US

1.0 HISTORY

Established in 1931 the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia (NBBC) is recognized as Canada’s oldest active Native organization, and a senior BC fishing organization. The NBBC was formed by a group of coastal villages solely for the betterment of Native people.

Over the years, the Brotherhood has been a very powerful voice on fisheries issues, and on many other concerns affecting the well being of BC’s native coastal communities. As the organization grew so did its achievements. These included, for example, a better education system, the right to vote for Native people, improved medical care, better jobs and better living conditions at the canneries.

2.0 CONSTITUTION

The NBBC has been and continues to be anchored by its Constitution that has objectives: ‘to advance the social, spiritual, economic and physical conditions of its members, including higher standards of education, health and living conditions, and to cooperate with recognized organizations and Government departments which concern themselves with the advancement of Indian welfare’.

3.0 CURRENT STATUS

Five years ago, the NBBC was told to go back to its economic and social ‘roots’, and was given a strong mandate from many coastal First Nations to facilitate the implementation of management and development strategies that will focus on capacity building, and that will include but not be restricted to fisheries, all other marine resources, tourism, eco-tourism, forestry and other resources with economic potential and opportunities.

4.0 SUPPORT

The NBBC gains it support and strength through two processes, signed up members and its annual Convention.

With respect to membership, the NBBC currently has two basic membership categories. The first is a paid up individual member, of which there are currently about 450 who reside through out coastal British Columbia. The second is through a Charter Community Membership whereby a First Nation signs their members on. There are currently about 6000 such members.

For almost three quarters of a Century the annual Convention has been the vehicle that gives the mandate and direction to the NBBC Executive for the coming year. This is done through Resolutions from the floor. These Resolutions are almost always passed by consensus, and must be reported on at the next Convention. In recent years, the typical Convention has been attended members and by representatives of between 50 and 60 First Nations and First Nation organizations. Depending upon location, attendance has been in the 150 to 300+ range.

Convention Resolutions are viewed as the prime basis of support for the Executive to move forward on strategic initiatives. For example, at the 2004 Convention RESOLUTION No. 2004-004 was passed by consensus: Therefore be it resolved that; Coastal First Nations support the development and implementation of the NBBC Working Skills Institute, and the need to develop a range of mutually beneficial partnerships with First Nations and First Nations Organizations, Governments, the Private Sector and Academic Institutions.

5.0 PARTNERSHIPS

Five years of NBBC consultation with its members and BC First Nations has identified a number of serious constraints to economic development that are not being adequately addressed. With this in mind, a number of coastal communities have asked the NBBC to play a support, coordination, communication and facilitation role to help address the problem areas.

First Nations recognize that addressing these issues and rebuilding a viable coastal economy cannot be done in isolation of other interests. Governments, corporations, the academic community and non-government organizations recognize that rebuilding a viable coastal economy cannot be done in isolation from First Nations. It therefore follows that any strategy to revitalize coastal communities must be built upon the negotiation of mutually beneficial partnerships.

With this self-evident truth in mind, the NBBC has devoted considerable effort in developing formal partnerships and working relationships with a wide range on interested parties. One basic objective has been to negotiate and formalize these relationships through a Letter of Understanding (LOU) between the NBBC and the Executives of the other parties. Figure 1. provides a brief report on the status of these negotiations.

Based upon these LOU’s, the NBBC is facilitating bringing the right combination of organizations together to deal with strategic initiatives and issues. Take ocean ranching for example. The NBBC has recently completed a “Pre-Feasibility ‘Business Case‘ Assessment of A British Columbia Coastal Zone Ocean Ranching Strategy’. A number of parties that have a signed LOU with the NBBC participated in the study, including the: Native Fishing Association, Aboriginal Fishing Vessel Owners Association, and Northern Native Fishing Corporation; Fish Processing Industry; United Fishermen’s and Allied Workers Union; and Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. Figure 2. provides several brief examples of some of the NBBC partnership based initiatives.

6.0 NBBC ROLE & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

There is strong support for the NBBC to play an ‘advocacy’ role through support, coordination, communication and facilitation. It is understood and appreciated by First Nations and First Nation organizations that the NBBC respects the fact that decision-making must remain at the community level.

The NBBC is focused on helping to address a range of ‘big picture’ aboriginal initiatives and concerns that cannot be effectively dealt with at the community or Tribal Council levels. These include, for example, taxation, ocean ranching, Golden Mussel aquaculture, a natural resource focused Working Skills Institute, and the establishment of a National Aboriginal Literacy Foundation.

The basic NBBC operational principle is that progress is made through mutually beneficial partnerships. The NBBC does not ‘own’ these initiatives, but wants to play a strategic role in helping to make them real.

FIGURE 1.  NBBC LOU NEGOTIATION INTENT AND STATUS

FIGURE 2.  NBBC LOU PARTNERSHIP BASED INITIATIVES