CALGARY — The secretary-treasurer of the Nisga'a Nation in northern British Columbia says there remain few obstacles to a final go-ahead decision for the Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas plant and export terminal.

"I think we've basically cleared almost all hurdles for this project," Charles Morven told reporters on the sidelines of the Global Energy Show in Calgary on Tuesday.

The $10-billion Ksi Lisims project would be on Nisga'a land in the northwest corner of B.C. near the Alaska border. The lead developer is Houston-based Western LNG; Rockies LNG, a consortium of Canadian natural gas producers, is also part of the plan.

Morven said he sees his community's participation in LNG as a way to achieve more autonomy.

"That's what we're working toward, to build our own financial capital and maybe, somewhere along the line, be able to finance smaller projects on their own without having to wait for other people to do things for us," he said.

In recent weeks, Ksi Lisims has signed preliminary supply agreements with two German utilities. It also announced three new benefit agreements with other First Nations in the region, two of which have dropped legal challenges against the project's federal approval.

"We hope it's a clear path for Canadians to understand that it's Indigenous people that aren't standing in front of you, or aren't standing opposed to you, aren't standing in a different way," said Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga'a Nation, during a panel discussion at the conference.

"Sometimes the narrative is always what kills the discussion that is occurring."

Though the lawsuits from the Metlakatla and Lax Kw’alaams have been withdrawn, one Gitxsan leader vowed to continue fighting B.C.'s approval of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, which would feed into Ksi Lisims.

"It will have irreversible consequences on our culture, identity and livelihood as Gitxsan people," Hereditary Chief Charlie Wright with the Gitxsan house Luutkudziiwus said in a written statement.

“The province has never properly consulted our Wilp (house) — and we’re prepared to take this issue to the Supreme Court of Canada.”

Several hundred kilometres south along the coast, in Squamish, B.C., the Woodfibre project is about 65 per cent complete, CEO Luke Schauerte said in an interview on the sidelines of the conference. Startup is slated for next year.

Woodfibre is 70 per cent owned by Pacific Energy Corp., which is a unit of Singapore-based RGE group of companies. Enbridge Inc. holds the remaining stake.