Understanding conceptions of land tenure in the Lake Babine Nation.

Understanding Conceptions of Land Tenure in the Lake Babine Nation is about evolving values and the leaders who navigate them. The traditional territory of the Lake Babine Nation (LBN) is situated on Babine Lake, east of Smithers and north of Burns Lake - a community adjacent to the Lake Babine Nation's largest community by population. Ownership and stewardship of land in the LBN has been rapidly evolving since the imposition of the Indian Act and other government legislation in the early 20th century, forcing the Babine to adapt their social and land management techniques. With the prospect of self-governance on the horizon and pressure from the Federal and Provincial governments to adopt a system of land tenure based on private property, the LBN is at a crossroads. In this work, leaders from Chief and Council, the LBN Treaty Office, and the Hereditary Chiefs, expressed their vision for the management of the traditional territories, including traditional and western forms of ownership and stewardship, with an emphasis on collective responsibility. This work is designed to facilitate a discussion about the fundamental land values of the LBN and how they can be represented in the governance structure of a self-governing nation. --Leaf ii.