User:CarolineIRivera/Hartley Bay Indian Band

Lead
The Hartley Bay Indian Band is also known as the Gitga'at First Nation or the Hartley Bay First Nation. The members of the Gitga'at First nation are often referred to as Gitka'a'ata. The population of Gitk’a’ata peoples living in Hartley Bay ranges from approximately 130-200 people. There are also about 400-500 Gitk’a’ata peoples living in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a neighboring territory. The Gitk’a’ata people have lived on Hartley Bay for hundreds of years, if not always. . Some notable things regarding the Gitga'at First Nation are their economy, geography, government, sports involvement, COVID-19 regulations, and relations.

Economy
The Gitga'at Nation currently has a tourism-centric economy. Some of the past economies for Hartley Bay were centered around fishing (selling fish, fishing lodges). These methods still generate income in the present. Tourism surrounding fishing lodges emerged in 2009 and became the most prominent source of income. It is still the most prominent. There are also camps that are for recreational and educational activities such as radio and industrial construction. These camps are usually executed as "boot camps" and are advertised to give job opportunities. There are also constant job postings on the Gitga'at First Nation social media pages.

Geography
The area of Hartley Bay is large and for the most part undeveloped and forest. It is bordered by Prince Rupert, Kitimat, and several islands off the west coast of British Columbia. There are occasional disputes with fishing industries who will fish in their ocean.

Government
The current counsel is made up by Arnold Clifton (Chief Councilor), Cam Hill, Marven Robinson, Bruce Reece, and Simone Reece (councilors). There are representatives known as "Guardians" that work towards preserving and protecting their territory from others that may use harmful ways of getting resources on their territory. In addition to Guardians, the community values it's environment and land, so typically the Guardians are focused on any potential threats to the territory. The Guardians do many tasks including protecting the ocean from fisheries riding the line of the territory and conducting research on coastal habitats and endangered species.

Sports
The Gitga'at First Nation has participated in the All Native Basketball Tournament.

Covid-19
There are requirements for visiting Hartley Bay due to the pandemic. Such requirements include vaccination status and British Columbian passport.

Relations
Hartley Bay Indian Band entered a treaty with Canada and British Columbia known as The Gitga'at Treaty. The treaty is still in progress but is gearing towards ownership of certain areas of land and the right to use it as they please (hunt, fish, develop, reserve, etc.) In 2003, The Hartley Bay Indian Band made a deal with British Columbia to settle a land dispute in for the right to tree cutting licenses and a cash payment.

The Gitga'at First Nation first encountered Europeans in the early 1800s. Katherine Turner has made several dissertations that include the Hartley Bay Band.