VANCOUVER – The federal Crown-Indigenous relations minister and the chief of the Musqueam Indian Band have initialled an agreement they say brings the band one step closer to self-governance.
Minister Gary Anandasangaree told a ceremony on Friday afternoon that initialling the Musqueam self-government agreement is a “significant milestone” and a “powerful step” toward self-determination.
He says once the agreement is in effect, it will revitalize the Musqueam Nation’s inherent right to self-government and restore the community’s ability to create laws, programs, services and develop economic opportunities on the nation’s own terms.
Chief Wayne Sparrow says being self-sufficient and looking after the community’s affairs has always been their vision.
Musqueam has a population of more than 1,400 people with more than 50 per cent living on reserve.
A joint statement says the next steps are for the Musqueam to launch community engagement and begin the process of ratifying the self-government agreement among its membership.
If approved, the agreement will need federal legislation to give it legal effect.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.
