The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the federal and provincial governments are wrongfully choosing sides in a land title dispute between two First Nations.

The union says itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渁larmedB次元官网网址� that B.C. and Canada are supporting the NisgaB次元官网网址檃 NationB次元官网网址檚 bid to be added as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Gitanyow Nation seeking Aboriginal rights and title over a 6,200-square-kilometre area in northwestern B.C.

The NisgaB次元官网网址檃 Nation says the area claimed by the Gitanyow overlaps with its treaty lands, but both the B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal denied the NisgaB次元官网网址檃 bid.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the NisgaB次元官网网址檃 Nation is now seeking leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada with the support of the federal and B.C. governments.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says the governmentsB次元官网网址� support of the NisgaB次元官网网址檃B次元官网网址檚 legal move signals to other First Nations that treaty rights are more important than unresolved rights and title claims like the GitanyowB次元官网网址檚.

The union is expressing B次元官网网址渟hock and concernB次元官网网址� at the CrownB次元官网网址檚 support of the NisgaB次元官网网址檃, which it says has B次元官网网址渉uge implicationsB次元官网网址� and will tie up the case in the courts for longer and increase litigation costs for the Gitanyow.