Word on the Street: Will members off-reserve benefit from this agreement?

Rumour: "Off-reserve members are not going to benefit from this agreement."

If there is a 'yes' vote, this Agreement will definitely benefit off-reserve members. By being St’át’imc and a part of a St’át’imc community, each member, on or off-reserve, will be able to access all the opportunities the money will bring. 

The money that comes through the trust must be spent on “trust purposes.” Those purposes are very broad, and cover many uses, such as education, culture, job creation, services, buildings, and so on. The monies are intended to benefit all members.

Programs such as employment, business, and education training opportunities are going to be made available within each community and nation as a whole. Each St’át’imc community is free to invest in any or all of these purposes. These purposes were put in place to provide education, economic and cultural opportunities (among other things) to community members, no matter where they live.

    Chief and Councils are working hard on communicating with members, on and off-reserve, and are looking for input on how the members would like to see the trust money spent. This settlement is long term and it's benefits will be provided to each community, St’át’imc member, and governance. Chief and Councils will work with all members to develop strategies to ensure everyone is receiving the advantages and purposes of the trust. Going forward with this agreement, the St’át’imc people will build a strong relationship between the people and BC Hydro.

    Tsal'alh Chief Garry John says, "The opportunities are meant to be for all St’át’imc members, whether you live on-reserve or off-reserve, and it's been hard to get that message across." To see more of what Chief Garry John has to say about benefits to off-reserve members, watch his video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li2NfSzqz3w&feature=related

    Please note that Lil’wat has chosen not to participate in the trust, but they will be receiving a lump sum payment instead. For more information on the Lil'wat community, please visit their webpage at: http://www.statimchydro.ca/communities/lilwat

    Bottom Line: Each community member, whether on or off-reserve, is going to receive the benefits of this Agreement through programs and services established within each community.

    Be sure to check out the other "Word on the Street" posts: 

    1. Will the chief get a bonus on a ‘Yes’ vote?
      http://tinyurl.com/word-on-street1
    2. Will the communities have a say in the Trust? 
      http://tinyurl.com/word-on-street2
    3. Will members off-reserve benefit from this agreement? 
      http://tinyurl.com/word-on-street3
    4. Are we surrendering title and rights to our land?
      http://tinyurl.com/word-on-street4
    5. Can we reach a better deal in the courts?
      http://tinyurl.com/word-on-street5