Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the BC Assembly of First Nations used his opening keynote address at the 2026 COFI Convention to deliver a frank assessment of the current state of the relationship between First Nations and the provincial government — describing it as being at a very low point — and to issue a clear call for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, rejecting what he characterized as a proposal to suspend it in all but name.
Teegee, who is serving his third term as Regional Chief and has been in the role for nine years, opened by acknowledging the broader economic context facing the sector. He cited 15,000 jobs lost in BC since 2022 and 21 permanent or indefinite mill closures since 2023, and noted that fibre supply constraints are reducing economic viability at the same time that regulatory complexity and costs are increasing. He said the current pressures are structural changes putting pressure on every part of the system, but that moments of pressure test whether governments stay grounded in sound policy and cohesive strategy. Challenges, he said, should not be used to justify decisions that create more instability in the long term.
On First Nations participation in forestry, Teegee said nations are no longer on the margins of the industry — nations are becoming owners, operators, and active partners across licensees and mills throughout the province, with growing involvement in employment, procurement, business development, equity partnerships, and ownership. He said the participation was not symbolic or granted. “We elbowed our way and brought ourselves into these positions,” he said, describing it as real economic activity and real leadership across the value chain. The question, he said, is whether policy and decision-making are keeping pace with that reality.
He highlighted the work of the First Nations Forestry Council and its CEO Leonard Joe in brokering partnerships between First Nations companies and forestry operators, and outlined a range of active Forestry Council initiatives: participation in the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force at the national level, trade mission engagement in Japan and Korea that has already generated new investor interest, the Business Connect Opportunities Register connecting nations to forestry business opportunities and funding, and a Forestry Council Inventory Project to better understand nation-led economic priorities across BC. He also noted that the province has committed $5 million in renewed funding to support the Forestry Council’s work, including the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program.
Teegee addressed DRIPA directly, telling delegates that the BC First Nations Leadership Council and chiefs across the province are not supporting any amendment, repeal, or suspension of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act — and that what is currently being proposed, a pause, amounts to a repeal for three years. He said the act, passed unanimously in the BC Legislature on November 26, 2019, represents a framework for confidence and that free, prior, and informed consent is not a barrier to development but the condition that allows development to proceed in a way that holds value over generations. When the framework is consistent, he said, it supports stability across the sector and stronger partnerships between governments, industry, and First Nations. When changes are introduced, risk extends beyond any individual project.
Teegee also spoke to the manner in which the provincial government has been handling the discussions. He said it does a disservice to everyone in the room when negotiations are conducted through the media, and that he does not want to hear about proposals from press coverage. His preference, he said, is for parties to come together and discuss options for moving forward — not to learn of positions through public announcements. He noted that he had media interviews to attend following his address, an outcome he described as unfortunate but predictable given the current dynamic.
He drew a distinction between forestry and other extractive industries such as mining and oil and gas, noting that with forestry there is the possibility of second and third growth, whereas with minerals and fossil fuels there is one opportunity to get it right for generational wealth. He acknowledged that the legal context is specific — courts have found that the province is not meeting its obligations in aligning legislation such as the Mineral Tenures Act with DRIPA requirements, citing recent court decisions that brought online mineral staking under scrutiny — and said there is agreement among First Nations and the provincial government that better consultation is needed, and that full DRIPA implementation is the path to providing the predictability and sustainability that industry requires.
Drafted with the assistance of digital tools to streamline the process.