A message from hegus John Hackett
From Self-Government to Self-Determination: The First Ten Years, The Next Ten Years
April 5 2026 marks ten years since Tla’amin burned the Indian Act in ceremony and took on self-government.
That moment was built on 24 years of negotiation at the treaty table. I’m thankful for Tla’amin Elders who held onto our rights and title through the hardest times and the most impossible circumstances. May their hands continue to guide us to think seven generations ahead.
The first 10 years: Building self-government and a stable administration
The decision to step away from the Indian Act was a leap of faith. We chose to build a government of our own, knowing it would take time to find our footing and that we would have to find a way to trust ourselves and one another.
Through the last decade, we have been putting our laws into practice and delivering new programs and services that better meet the needs of our people. We made deliberate choices to invest in education, healing, and culture, with a focus on giving Tla’amin children the best chance possible at a healthy and meaningful life.
Places like Ɂəms ʔayɛ, ʔayštən ʔayɛ, či čuy ʔayɛ, and čɛpθən house now provide safe and culturally appropriate programming five days a week. These facilities feature our language and are warm, clean, safe, and inviting.
Over time, we have also grown more confident in how we govern. We are making our own decisions, solving our own problems, and taking responsibility for the outcomes. That confidence did not come overnight, and we are still learning, but it is ours.
I want to recognize the leadership that helped steady this path over the last decade. We raise our hands to Clint Williams, the late Vern Pielle, the late Tyrone Wilson, Larry Louie, Shawn Louie, Leonard Harry, Brian Hackett, Denise Smith and Lori Wilson for their service and commitment to our Nation.
These first ten years have been about building a government that works and that reflects us. But in Tla’amin, family has always been the original governing unit, and I think the next ten years are about creating the conditions for families to thrive through creativity, opportunity, and self-determination.
The next 10 years: Cultivating self-determination through greater independence
In 2016, we resumed responsibility for 6,500 hectares of our territory. That was an important step, but it was only part of the work. We continue to push for a greater role in decision-making across our territory, from our specific claim at Lot 450 to the return of lands at tiskʷat and the acquisition of TFL 39 Block 1.
The strength of the Tla’amin Treaty is in the land base. The next 10 years are about putting that land to work in a way that benefits both individual citizens and our business arm, Tla’amin Management Services (TMS).
That focus starts now with real opportunities for our citizens to start businesses, secure leases, and take part in developing our lands. This year, we will complete a land application process so that our land base can support entrepreneurs, trades, and small business owners—giving our people the tools to build something of their own and create livelihoods for their families on their own terms.
I am full of hope for the promise of our business arm in this next decade. As our TMS group of companies grows, so do the opportunities for our citizens across heavy industry, hospitality, aquaculture, real estate development, and a whole range of corporate services, from finance to marketing and HR. Every bit of energy we invest in Tla’amin businesses results in returns to our government for programs and services.
This is how we begin to catch up on more than a century of missed opportunity in our territory. We are in the midst of a great comeback, and the work ahead is to turn that momentum into lasting economic strength for our Nation.
In closing, I want to wish all of our Tla’amin people and all treaty people a Happy 10th Anniversary of our Treaty. I invite all our jehjeh to please mark your calendars and plan to join us May 28 to 30 for our Spring General Assembly. This is a time to reflect on how far we have come and to have your say in what happens next. ?imot