British Columbia Tribe Signs Treaty

The Nisga’a Indian tribe signed a treaty that gives members self-government and land rights in their rugged mountain homeland in British Columbia province. It was a historic day not only for the 5,500 Nisga’a but for all Indians in British Columbia. None of the other 50 Indian communities has obtained a treaty in this century, and the settlement is expected to serve as a loose model for other deals. The treaty gives the Nisga’a $126 million in cash over 15 years, plus title to about 750 square miles of land in northwestern British Columbia.