The 2000s: Treaty, Self-Governance, and the Modern Economic Era of Tsawwassen First Nation

By Robert Skinner | Delta City News |March 6, 2026
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The 2000s marked one of the most significant governance transitions in Delta’s modern history.

In 2009, the Tsawwassen First Nation became the first urban First Nation in British Columbia to implement a modern treaty under the BC Treaty Process. The agreement formally established self-governance, clarified land ownership, and created a new economic framework for development and partnership.

For decades prior, much of the land base and jurisdictional authority surrounding Tsawwassen lands operated under federal oversight. The treaty changed that. It transferred defined lands into Tsawwassen First Nation ownership and provided legislative authority over governance, taxation, land management, and economic development within those boundaries.

The implications were structural.

The treaty established Tsawwassen First Nation as a government, not merely a stakeholder. It introduced a new layer of municipal and regional coordination across Delta, Metro Vancouver, and provincial authorities. Land use planning, infrastructure servicing, and development discussions now required intergovernmental collaboration.

The 2000s were less about immediate large-scale construction and more about foundation building. Governance systems were formalized. Economic strategies were designed. Regulatory frameworks were established.

At the same time, the treaty signaled a broader shift in British Columbia’s relationship with Indigenous communities — moving toward negotiated self-determination and economic participation rather than unilateral oversight.

For Delta as a whole, this milestone added complexity — and opportunity.

Agriculture remained protected under the Agricultural Land Reserve. Port expansion continued under the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Municipal planning evolved.

Now, a self-governing Indigenous government was part of that framework.

By the end of the decade, the groundwork was laid for development initiatives and regional partnerships that would become more visible in the 2010s.

The 2000s were not the culmination of Tsawwassen First Nation’s modern era.

They were its beginning.

Robert Skinner- Robert is a Ladner based business systems developer and the Publisher of Delta City News. Give him a call at +1 604-220-4750 or connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlskinner/

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Tags: #Tsawwassen First Nation #Delta BC #Delta History #2000s #Treaty #Self Governance #Local Government #Indigenous Economic Development #Delta City News