The Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) is still far from deciding if it will allow the Kinder Morgan TransMountain oil pipeline expansion through its territory.

LNIB Chief Aaron Sam said the band is waiting to see how things shake out at the federal level, as one of prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau’s campaign promises was to overhaul the National Energy Board’s approval process for new pipelines.

“At this point we’re just waiting for the federal government to get in place completely,” Sam said.

Trudeau will officially become Canada’s 23rd prime minister tomorrow (Nov. 4), the same day he is expected to announce his cabinet.

Last Tuesday the LNIB hosted a two-day First Nations summit regarding the pipeline with senior officials from Kinder Morgan. President Ian Anderson, was in attendance along with several hundred First Nations representatives.

Sam said he greeted Anderson, but didn’t have any substantive discussions with him at the summit.

He said the band has yet to have any in-depth conversations with Kinder Morgan regarding their environmental concerns.

“We’ve had discussions with Kinder Morgan and we need to continue having those discussions,” Sam said.

In 2014, Sam wrote a letter to Stephen Harper saying the band wouldn’t support the pipeline until the Harper government made meaningful strides in the area of climate change.

“We are hopeful that with the new Liberal government and Trudeau as the prime minister that we’ll be able to engage in some dialogue with the federal government to be able to address some of the issues and concerns that I’ve mentioned previously in relation to the environment, climate change and resource extraction,” Sam said.

Last week’s summit meetings focused specifically on the proposed twinning, and the economic opportunities for First Nations that flow from it.

The route of Kinder Morgan's proposed twinned pipeline project.

The route of Kinder Morgan’s proposed twinned pipeline project.

Sam said the main reason his band hosted the summit was to bring First Nations from all along the proposed pipeline route together to hear their concerns with the proposed project.

“The summit was really just a first step,” Sam said, adding that he wants his band to continue to have a dialogue with these First Nations to see if there are common concerns they can work collaboratively on to ensure they are addressed by Kinder Morgan or the federal government.

He said the age of Kinder Morgan’s existing pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby and climate change were common concerns he heard from other First Nations at the summit.

“There’s a commitment by many of the First Nations to continue having a dialogue into the future to make sure our voice is heard,” Sam said.