What We’re Reading, May 2024: On Indigenous Land
Each month we will be offering a list of recent news articles, posts on ongoing issues, or other pieces of media that we believe are worth noting in our ongoing journey of learning and moving toward healing and justice. Click on the provided links to access the full article.
Photo by Cory Schadt on Unsplash
In Coastal British Columbia, the Haida Get Their Land Back | Hakai Magazine
This article should be read in full, as it speaks to the power of persistence on the road toward reconciliation. The author writes, “In April 2024, the Haida Nation and the province of British Columbia announced the Gaayhllxid/Gíihlagalgang “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement. In it, the BC government formally recognizes Haida ownership of all the lands of Haida Gwaii. This is the first time in Canadian history that the colonial government has recognized Indigenous title across an entire terrestrial territory, and it’s the first time this kind of recognition has occurred outside of the courts. Experts say it marks a new path toward Indigenous reconciliation.”
Supreme Court of Canada says treaty entitled Alberta First Nation to larger reserve | CTV
In a unanimous decision, Canada’s highest court has ruled that the Canadian government did not fulfill the obligations of a treaty made with the Blood Tribe in 1877, with the tribe receiving 420 square kilometres less land than the treaty entitled them to. Today’s courts are consistently upholding Indigenous land rights, and calling on the government to close unjust holes in enacted policies. Public opinion is crucial for maintaining pressure on government leaders to fulfill their obligations.
A thought-provoking conversation with an Indigenous entrepreneur, Fred Di Blasio, who recently guided Squamish First Nation in their planning for a 6,000-unit condo development.