Fort Nelson First Nation

About Fort Nelson First Nation

Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) is a sovereign treaty nation, and a signatory to Treaty No. 8. Our people hold title by aboriginal rights to specific territories within northeastern BC. The Crown recognized our territorial and jurisdictional rights by entering into treaty with us, in the form of an adhesion to Treaty No. 8, signed on the banks of the Fort Nelson River at Old Fort Nelson, on August 15, 1910. Our people come from Slavey (Dene) and Cree linguistic and cultural groups, and while we once lived throughout our territory, we have lived as one community for over five decades and together we promote values for a strong, healthy, proud, and self-reliant nation. Our community is located in the northeastern corner of BC, 7 KM south of Fort Nelson. We have lived and relied on our traditional lands since time immemorial. Our People practiced seasonal rounds, meaning that tens of thousands of square kilometers of our territory were utilized for harvesting food, gathering medicines, habitation, for practicing our culture, and for placing departed loved ones in their final resting place. For millennia, we survived by utilizing our land and resources in a manner respectful of exemplary stewardship practices, and we thrived by building respectful relationships with one another, and shared teachings and economy. Our ways included traditional laws, norms, and agreed upon governance systems. Fort Nelson First Nation is a strong, healthy, and economically sustainable community. Our people are united, educated, respectful and proud. Language and culture are the foundation of our Nation and continue to be shared through generations. We balance our desire to protect our land while being the beneficiaries of its resources. We are self-sufficient, sovereign, proactive and thinking for 7 generations (RFOV 2020). Our membership drives our vision, mission, and values, and our employees help us uphold the community driven values for a ‘Strong Healthy Proud Self-reliant Nation.’