Members of the Yale First Nation expressed what the ratification of a treaty with the provincial and federal governments means to them during an event today at the British Columbia legislature.

Along with Yale Chief Robert Hope, Premier Christy Clark, Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister Mary Polak and Attorney General Barry Penner, the speakers included Talon Coghill, a 12-year-old from the community:

"What does this treaty mean to me? This treaty means being able to go out and picnic, go hunting and be a part of community gatherings.

"It means being able to see the wildlife around me, the stars and the moon on a cloudless night . . . I like being able to hear the birds, the crackle of the fire and coyotes howling at night and the sockeye salmon jumping in the river.

"I like the feel of the wind blowing in my hair as I ride the boat. The warmth, the sun and the sand beneath my feet. I like the smell of salmon barbecuing over a fire and the air after it rains.

"This treaty means I'll always be able to enjoy the taste of deer meat, wild berries and salmon."

Chief Hope said that when the nation began negotiating the treaty some 20 years ago he thought of it as being about fishing rights, but as time went on he decided it was about the nation's future generations.

"What we're really hoping for is they have the same opportunities as our neighbours and therefore I think they'll do better in life," he told reporters following the ceremony. It will mean more opportunities for education, but also the chance for members to have things like nice homes and streetlights in their community.

"We're looking for partners," he said. "We'd like to develop the outlying area, use the resources -- the fish, the timber, the gravel, the gold -- and create jobs. A few jobs in the community means a lot."

The legislation necessary for the province to ratify the treaty was introduced during the afternoon sitting of the legislature. Once that bill passes, it will be up to the federal government to pass similar legislation to make the treaty official.

The Yale agreement is the third to be completed through the B.C. treaty process.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.