If the federal government wants to have a good relationship with First Nations in British Columbia, they have to accept the Northern Gateway pipeline project is dead, says Art Sterritt of the Coastal First Nations.

That’s the message Sterritt said all First Nations leaders will be giving this week at meetings with federal government officials in Vancouver.

Ed John of the First Nations Summit said First Nations are completely opposed to heavy-oil pipelines, but are receptive to discussing natural gas pipelines if there is a real benefit.

“We’ve been promised jobs and opportunities in the past, but we haven’t seen those materialize. You won’t see much support if there are no opportunities for First Nations people,” John said.

Sterritt and John are among the B.C. First Nations leaders talking to high-ranking government officials through Wednesday.

Last March, the federal government appointed Vancouver lawyer Doug Eyford as a “special federal representative” to talk to B.C. and Alberta First Nations about natural resource developments, including the proposed $6.5-billion Northern Gateway oil pipeline to Kitimat. Eyford is scheduled to give his final report to government — which the government has said won’t be released publicly — by Nov. 29.

Eyford was asked to focus on energy infrastructure in Western Canada and look into First Nations’ concerns with the Northern Gateway proposal, as well as the development of liquefied natural gas plants and other energy infrastructure in B.C. and Alberta.

“This new energy envoy our prime minister appointed has made a round of meetings with First Nations, and the prime minister is wondering why the relationship with First Nations in B.C. is so bad,” Sterritt said Monday.

Sterritt said he believes this is the first time since Stephen Harper was elected that meetings have taken place between First Nations and deputy ministers. Deputy ministers from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, Transport Canada and Natural Resources Canada are attending this week’s discussions.

Sterritt said First Nations “will maintain a wall of opposition” to the Northern Gateway proposal, adding he believes 80 per cent of British Columbians are also against the project.