Although in BC there have been few treaties with the aboriginal bands, the Lake Babine Band and the Bands of Stuart and Fraser Lake all have treaties, collectively known as the Barricade Treaties.
Prior to 1906 the Babine people harvested salmon using barricades and fish traps where the present Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fence is. It was estimated that at that time the people harvested upwards of 750,000 salmon there each year. Because of growing fishing pressures downstream (Prince Rupert), the government of Canada agreed to a treaty with the Lake Babine Band (Known then as the Babine lake Carrier People) in which they would remove their barricades in return for nets, farm implements, an increase in reserve property and a school for their children.
The Babine people were given an increase in reserve lands and nets up until the late 1950’s. The farm implements stopped begin provided shortly after the agreement was made and the Babine people never received their school.
There isn’t a signed treaty to be found but there is plenty of evidence to indicate that both parties were in agreement to the treaty. In fact a legal opinion in 1990 by Thomas Berger indicated that "no formal ratification fo the treaty is necessary". It was also Mr. Berger’s opinion that the Government of Canada had not lived up to its side of the agreement.
To date this is where the Treaty sits. The Lake Babine Band had now entered into Land Claims negotiations where this treaty will take an important role.