British Columbia's Nisga'a Nation says any potential buyers of a highly-publicized ghost town in northwestern B.C. need to negotiate with them before writing any cheques.

The former molybdenum mining community of Kitsault received widespread coverage when it was recently put up for sale with a price of $7 million.

Kitsault (courtesy Niho Land and Cattle Co.)
Kitsault (courtesy Niho Land and Cattle Co.)

However, the Nisga'a say that the abandoned townsite is on land that's part of their traditional territory.

Nisga'a Lisims president Joseph Gosnell says the Nisga'a already have fishing and hunting rights in the area and that all land access to Kitsault runs through Nisga'a territory.

"Kitsault is not way out in the bush somewhere. It is within Nisga'a traditional territory, and we have constitutionally-protected rights within that particular region.

"There's an old saying – 'buyer beware.' We're saying to prospective buyers that we do have rights within that area," says Gosnell.

He says he's not opposed to commercial development of Kitsault, and that the Nisga'a would be interested in a joint partnership with developers.