After stopping the negotiation of treaties for the taking of our lands in the 1850's, government finally agreed to restart treaty negotiations in the 1992 when Canada, BC and First Nations accepted the 19 recommendations of the BC Claims Task Force and established the BC Treaty Commission.  In December 1993 the BC Treaty Commission began receiving statements of intent from First Nations wanting to negotiate a treaty with Canada and BC.

Cowichan responded to these developments by approaching our neighbors and suggesting we join forces to negotiate treaties for our respective commuinities.  Our argument was that not only would we be stronger as a united group; but that we wee surrounded to the south (Saanich) and north (Nanaimo) by communities who had signed treaties - in fact James Douglas had promised to purchase lands from us but never did.  Thus in 1993 the Chiefs of Malahat, Cowichan, Halalt, Lyackson, Penelakut, Lake Cowichan and Chemainus signed a political accord to work together, and selected Dennis Alphonse as the political spokesperson for the Chiefs.  Since the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group was founded in 1993 these six First Nations have joined together as one in the BC Treaty Process, representing over 6,000 members.  Hul'qumi'num is the shared language that connects us, as do our common traditional territories, culture, and history.  The Chiefs also submitted a statement of intent to negotiate to government and provided them with a prelimiary map of the traditional territory of the 7 communities. 

In 1994 the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group is incorporated as a society for the purpose of negotiating a treaty on behalf of 6 communities (Malahat decided to join a Douglas Treaty negotiating group).  For Cowichan a mandate was achieved at a community meeting in 1995, and also at that meeting community appointed an elders advisory committee.  Through a series of community meetings mandates were obtained to enter into treaty negotiations.  In 1996 the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group Mission Statement Drum was signed by all the Chiefs at a traditional ceremony held at Somena Big House.

With the appointment of Ernie Elliott as Chief Negotiator the HTG were declared ready to enter negotiations by the BC Treaty Commission.

The next step was preparation for negotiations.  This involved establishing an organization to carry out negotiations, incorporating that orgainzaiton, obtaining a mandate from community to enter into treaty negotiations in unity with the other communities and to partially fund this process through loans to be repaid once a treaty is finalized.  The last item to be completed before negotiations could begin was the appointment of a Chief Negotiator.

The mission statement written on the drum states the following: 
The parties to the Political Accord assert Aboriginal rights, titles, and interest with respect to their traditional territories.  the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group, representing Vancouver Island Salish Nations who share their interest in their land extinguished, recognize that the treaty making process is an opportunity to complete unfinished business with the federal and provincial governments.

The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group will negotiate to recognize and protect a way of life based on an economic and spiritual relationship between Hul'umi'num First Nations and the environment.  The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group will ensure that the Chemainus, Cowichan, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson and Penelakut First Nations fully participate in all aspects of the treaty negotiation process.

In 1997 the parties began negotiating a Framework Agreement which basically is an agreement whereby the parties agree to what is on the table for negotiation.  For HTG, and Cowichan, what was of concern was private lands, compensation for past wrongs and interim measures (which are agreements made before a treaty is concluded such as the government agreeing not to log lands that may be turned over to a First Nation once a treaty is negotiated).  An agreement was signed at the end of 1997 and although the above mentioned items were not specifically mentioned HTG negotiators were assured that by virtue of recommendation 2- that each of the parties be at liberty to introduce any issue at the negotiation table that it views as significant to the new relationship that these matters could be brought forward.  The Framework Agreement is ratified by the communities.

In 1999 the parties entered into Agreement-in-Principle negotiations, otherwise known as the "real stuff" where the parties attempt to reach agreement or approaches to all the issues.  Robert Morales is selected as a full time Chief Negotiator and in 2000 HTG is restructed to centralize the negotiating team.

The six nations of the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group are strongly positioned in meeting the challenges that the process hold.  The hope of the Hul'umi'num Treaty Group is that the result of the negotiations comes to a fair and just resolution to the claim.  The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group aims to get to 100%.