Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

By Jill Sperling

Project Reconciliation

Former Tk’emlups chief sets sights on First Nations majority share in Trans Mountain pipeline

Jun 12, 2019 | 5:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — The former chief of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc is working to gather First Nations support in the bid to own a majority share in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Shane Gottfriedson is the B.C. director of Project Reconciliation.

The organization is made up of First Nations groups in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. Gottfriedson says First Nations communities have the right to determine their own economic independence.

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“We want to look at economic reconciliation, creating our own wealth, I think being a chief for 16-plus years gives me a good insight about the socioeconomic conditions of our people, that hasn’t changed,” Gottfriedson said.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“So, looking at bringing in a stream of revenue so First Nations can look after their own socioeconomic conditions. It might not solve all their problems, but I guarantee you it will definitely solve some of their problems.”

Project Reconciliation has spoken with both the federal and provincial governments regarding is desire for a 51 per cent stake in the project.

The provincial government and some First Nations groups have opposed the pipeline. Gottfriedson says he doesn’t expect all 337 First Nations groups in the three western provinces to sign on as stakeholders.

“We’re not here to say, ‘Yes, you need to sign on with Project Reconciliation,'” Gottriedson said.

“If you don’t want to be a part of that, we respect that and I think our goal is to work with First Nations who want to be engaged with oil and gas and the pipeline. That pipeline’s been here since 1953, there’s been a lot of (Impact-Benefit Agreements) that have been signed with Kinder Morgan and the First Nations, but our goal is to include as many First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and most of all British Columbia.”

A final decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project will be made on June 18th.