1. The 12 Organizations
A network of Indigenous organizations has become deeply embedded in BC government policy-making โ co-designing legislation, administering programs, and receiving substantial public funding. Here are the key players.
1. Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC)
The most politically prominent Indigenous advocacy organization in BC. Represents ~100 First Nations. Holds NGO status with UN Economic and Social Council. Opposes the BC treaty process in favour of rights-based recognition. Co-designed DRIPA with the NDP government. Receives core federal funding (ISC, CIRNAC) plus provincial grants from the Ministry of Indigenous Relations โ estimated $2โ5M/year combined. UBCIC is NOT subject to the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (which only covers band governments).
Key connection: President Stewart Phillip is married to NDP MLA Joan Phillip. See DRIPA page.
2. BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN)
BC regional arm of the Assembly of First Nations, representing 204 First Nations in BC. Teegee was described as "instrumental" in DRIPA's passage. BCAFN currently runs an "Uphold DRIPA" campaign. Priority areas: UNDRIP, housing, justice, fisheries, health, climate action, carbon offsets. Estimated funding: $3โ8M/year combined from federal and provincial sources.
Notable: Teegee co-chairs the Champions Table with the BC Business Council โ a pragmatic position that makes him a central power broker in BC economic policy.
3. First Nations Summit (FNS)
The third member of the "Big Three" coalition. Co-organizes the annual BC Cabinet and First Nations Leaders' Gathering with the provincial government. The November 2025 gathering drew 1,300+ delegates from 200+ First Nations, with every provincial ministry participating and 1,300+ one-on-one meetings scheduled. Receives funding through BC Treaty Commission allocation and direct federal/provincial grants.
4. First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC)
The umbrella political coalition that co-drafted DRIPA and co-implements it with the BC government. Not a separate legal entity โ funding flows to each member organization. The FNLC website credits itself with "helping British Columbia become the first province in Canada to adopt the UN Declaration." Joan Phillip's 2023 election was celebrated by the FNLC.
5. BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC)
Mandates to challenge over-representation of First Nations people in child welfare and incarceration. Operates Indigenous Justice Centres, Gladue services, and Indigenous court workers. Funded largely through BC's Attorney General as part of the $64 million BC First Nations Justice Strategy (announced 2020) โ a key DRIPA-related expenditure.
6. First Nations Energy and Mining Council (FNEMC)
Supports First Nations to manage and develop energy and mineral resources. Facilitates First Nations participation in DRIPA Section 7 shared decision-making on resource matters. Operates environmental assessment surveys and "Guardians" programs. Has significant influence over which resource projects get Indigenous approval in BC.
7. BC First Nations Forestry Council (BCFNFC)
Advances First Nations participation and decision-making in BC's forest sector. Works on DRIPA Action Plan actions related to natural resource stewardship and co-governance of forests. Participates in forestry legislation alignment work under Section 3. Directly affects timber harvesting rights and forest management agreements across the province.
8. BC Treaty Commission
Independent body facilitating treaty negotiations between Canada, BC, and First Nations. Has overseen the BC treaty process since 1993. After 33 years, only 4 modern treaties fully implemented. Operating costs alone (just the commission): $90+ million since 1993. Total negotiation support to First Nations (loans and grants): estimated $600Mโ1B+ since 1993, plus hundreds of millions in government legal and staff costs. See Treaty section below.
9. Mรฉtis Nation BC (MNBC)
Represents Mรฉtis people in BC. Receives federal and provincial funding for Mรฉtis programs. The Mรฉtis population in BC grew 9.5% between 2016โ2021 โ the fastest-growing Indigenous group in BC, driven partly by increased self-identification and legislative reinstatement of status.
10. First Nations Women Advocating Responsible Mining (FNWARM)
Advocates for Indigenous women's rights and interests in mining and resource extraction decisions. Focuses on UNDRIP Articles 28โ30 on resource development and women's rights. Ensures women's voices are included in FPIC consultation processes.
11. Urban Indigenous Organizations
Multiple urban Indigenous organizations receive significant public funding in Metro Vancouver alone: Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Aboriginal Mother Centre, Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS), Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA). Participate in DRIPA Action Plan implementation under the Social, Cultural and Economic Well-Being theme.
12. New Relationship Trust
Provides grants to First Nations for governance, language, and culture programs. Interest income approximately $4โ6M/year distributed to communities. Established as part of the BC Liberal era's "New Relationship" with First Nations โ carried forward and expanded under the NDP.
2. Treaty Negotiations โ $1.5โ3B+ Spent, 4 Treaties
The BC treaty process began in 1993 with the expectation it would take a few years. 33 years and an estimated $1.5โ3 billion+ later, only 4 modern treaties have been fully implemented. Dozens of First Nations have been in negotiations for 20โ30 years without completing treaties.
| Period | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1993โ2009: Negotiation support to First Nations | $432M ($345.6M loans + $86.4M grants) | Wikipedia/BC Treaty Process, verified |
| BC Treaty Commission operations (1993โ2009) | $34.2M | BC Treaty Commission archived FAQ, verified |
| Commission annual operating budget | $2.8M/year (60% fed, 40% prov) | bctreaty.ca, directly accessed |
| Post-2009 through 2024 negotiation support (est.) | $200โ400M+ | Estimated |
| Commission operations 2009โ2024 (est.) | ~$42M (at $2.8M/yr) | Calculated |
| Federal/provincial legal and staff costs | Hundreds of millions | Not publicly broken out |
| Estimated Grand Total | $1.5โ3 billion+ | All parties combined |
Treaties Completed (2025)
- Nisga'a Final Agreement โ 2000 (pre-process)
- Tsawwassen First Nation โ implemented April 2009
- Maa-nulth First Nations โ implemented 2011
- Tla'amin Nation โ implemented 2016
- Kitselas, Kitsumkalum, K'omoks โ initialled 2024 (not yet ratified)
Still Waiting (2025)
- 40+ First Nations in various stages of the 6-stage process
- Many at Stage 4 for 15+ years
- UBCIC-affiliated nations (~40% of BC First Nations) never joined the process
- Fraser Institute (2008): called the process "incomplete, illiberal, and expensive"
- At current pace, full treaty resolution is decades away
๐ The 2018 Change โ Loans to Grants
In 2018, the federal government shifted from loans to non-repayable contribution funding for treaty negotiations. In 2020, all outstanding negotiation loan debt was forgiven under Budget 2019 commitments. Nations that spent decades accumulating negotiation debt โ some up to $700Mโ$1B+ nationally โ had it wiped away. This was done with no public debate about whether such debt forgiveness was appropriate or whether it created incentives to never complete treaties. See Scandals for the full loan debt story.
3. Ministry of Indigenous Relations โ Budget Nearly Tripled
| Fiscal Year | Government | Approx. MIRR Budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012โ13 through 2016โ17 | BC Liberal (Clark) | $75โ85M/year | Pre-DRIPA era |
| 2017โ18 to 2018โ19 | BC NDP (Horgan) | $85โ95M/year | NDP takes power; reconciliation work begins |
| 2019โ20 | BC NDP | ~$105M | DRIPA passed November 2019 |
| 2020โ21 to 2021โ22 | BC NDP | $125โ150M | Action Plan development |
| 2022โ23 | BC NDP (Eby) | $175โ200M | Action Plan released; Secretariat established |
| 2023โ24 to 2024โ25 | BC NDP | $200โ225M/year | Secretariat operational |
Liberal era baseline: ~$75โ80M/year
NDP 2024 level: ~$200โ225M/year
Increase: approximately $125โ150M more per year โ the ministry budget has nearly tripled.
These figures are estimates based on publicly available budget trajectory reporting; official figures require
BC Public Accounts verification.
๐๏ธ The Declaration Act Secretariat โ The Hidden Cost
The Secretariat coordinates DRIPA implementation across ALL 20+ BC ministries. Its costs are embedded across multiple ministry budgets and have never been publicly broken out as a separate line item. When accounting for the full across-government impact โ staff in every ministry working on DRIPA alignment, legal fees, consultation facilitation, capacity grants โ the true cost of DRIPA implementation is substantially higher than the MIRR budget alone suggests.
Estimated across-government FTEs engaged with Indigenous relations: potentially 1,000+ FTEs government-wide when including natural resources, health, education, and child welfare ministries.
4. Where the Money Goes โ The Accountability Gap
๐ The Federal Accountability Collapse
In 2013, the Harper government passed the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA), requiring all bands to publicly post audited financial statements and chief/council compensation. When it was briefly in force, the FNFTA revealed:
- Many band chiefs earning more than the BC Premier (~$195,000/year)
- Some BC chiefs earning $300,000โ$500,000+ annually in combined salary, honoraria, and benefits
In 2016, the Trudeau government stopped enforcing the FNFTA and removed the public database. The law technically remains on the books but is functionally unenforced. Citizens โ including band members โ now have no easy access to how their band's money is spent.
๐ BC's Provincial Gap
- BC has no provincial FNFTA equivalent
- No searchable public database of grants to Indigenous organizations
- DRIPA consultation costs are distributed across all ministries โ no single public figure exists
- Third-Party Management lists are not publicly maintained by ISC
- Organizations like UBCIC, BCAFN, and FNS are incorporated under BC Societies Act โ not subject to FNFTA
- Carbon credit revenues received by band councils have no mandatory member distribution reporting requirement
Accountability advocates have called for: Reinstating and enforcing the FNFTA federally; creating a BC equivalent requiring all organizations receiving over $250,000/year in public funds to disclose financials; establishing an independent BC Indigenous spending auditor; creating a searchable database of all grants to Indigenous organizations by the BC government; requiring disclosure of all FPIC/consultation costs by ministry.
None of these exist under the NDP government. Despite increasing spending dramatically, the NDP has reduced rather than increased accountability for how that money is used.
5. Key Individuals and Their Roles
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
Role: President, UBCIC (since 1998)
Organization funding: Millions/year (federal + provincial)
Key connection: Married to NDP MLA Joan Phillip
Policy influence: Co-designed DRIPA; opposed DRIPA suspension (2026);
opposed Trans Mountain; opposed Kinder Morgan
Compensation: Not publicly disclosed (UBCIC not subject to FNFTA)
Terry Teegee โ BCAFN Regional Chief
Role: Regional Chief of BCAFN (3rd term); AFN UNDRIP Committee Chair
Background: Registered Professional Forester; Former Tribal Chief of Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
Policy influence: "Instrumental" in DRIPA passage; co-chairs BC Business Council Champions Table
Compensation: Available in AFN annual reports; national range for Regional Chiefs ~$150,000โ$250,000+
Joan Phillip โ NDP MLA
Role: MLA, Vancouver-Strathcona; Parliamentary Secretary (appointed by Premier Eby, Nov 2024)
Connection: Married to UBCIC President Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
Background: 20 years as Penticton Indian Band land manager; NDP member since ~1972
Heritage: Granddaughter of Chief Dan George
Murray Rankin โ Minister of Indigenous Relations
Role: Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (under Horgan and Eby)
Background: Former federal NDP MP; academic with expertise in Indigenous law
Action: Oversaw DRIPA Action Plan release March 30, 2022;
primary minister implementing DRIPA across BC government
BC Treaty Commission (bctreaty.ca โ directly accessed); Wikipedia/BC Treaty Process (verified); Wikipedia/Stewart Phillip, Joan Phillip; BCAFN official website (directly accessed); BC Government News release, November 4, 2025 (BC Cabinet and First Nations Leaders' Gathering); FNLC website; BC Budget service plans (estimated figures); Canada.ca Proactive Disclosure โ Grants database; Parliamentary Budget Office Indigenous spending analyses. Research compiled April 2026.