The Lands Advisory Board (LAB) was officially established in 1996 under the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management (Framework Agreement), which was given royal assent in 1999 by the First Nations Land Management Act (FNLMA) and had the legal effect of “Ratifying and bringing into effect the Framework Agreement”.
The primary statutory responsibilities of the LAB are to implement the eleven parts (59 clauses) of the Framework Agreement. In addition, statutory functions of the LAB also include implementing the 48 clauses of the FNLMA.
The composition of the LAB is determined by the Councils of the signatory First Nations which have ratified the Framework Agreement through a Community vote to implement their Land Code. There are currently eleven Directors of the LAB and the Chair. The Directors serve staggered terms in order for at least one position from each of the three regions to come up for election annually.
The three regions are: British Columbia, Prairie (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), and Eastern (Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic). The LAB Chair is elected for a five-year term; the Directors are elected for three-year terms.
The 2018 LAB Annual General Meeting was held in Richmond back in June. Two members of the T’it’q’et Land Code Committee attended the two day meeting.
