Tag Archives: Treaty

Hul’qumi’num First Nations & the “Great Land Grab”

Originally published on Ramshackle Pictures (2014)

Robert Morales represents the six Hul’qumi’num First Nations (Cowichan, Chemainus, Penelakut, Lyackson, Halalt, Lake Cowichan), whose territories span the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island. These lands were almost entirely sold off by the Federal government in 1887 to coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, in order to finance the construction of the E&N Railroad from Nanaimo to Victoria, which enabled BC and Vancouver Island to join confederation and become part of Canada.

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SRD motion to remove ‘unceded’ from First Nations territorial acknowledgements defeated

How our local government worksPart 3 of 5 from the Feb 9 SRD Board Meeting

A Strathcona Regional District motion to remove the term ‘unceded’ from acknowledgements of First Nations territory was defeated, in a 8 to 6 vote, at the Wednesday, Feb 9 Board meeting.

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How the Blueberry ruling in B.C. is a gamechanger for the Site C dam, extractive industries and Indigenous Rights

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

When B.C. Supreme Court Justice Emily Burke served her ruling on a long-fought case between Blueberry River First Nations and the province in late June, unequivocally determining the B.C. government breached  the Nations’ Treaty Rights by permitting and encouraging widespread  resource extraction, she noted B.C.’s regulatory regime for industrial  development is broken.   

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B.C. pays Blueberry River First Nations $65 million as 195 projects approved before court victory proceed

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Blueberry River First Nations signed an agreement with British Columbia Thursday, outlining first steps toward healing  the land and restoring the nations’ ability to exercise its Treaty 8  Rights, which the province breached by permitting and encouraging  industrial development on a vast scale, according to a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in June.

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BC gov’t won’t appeal landmark ruling on treaty rights

By Jeremy Appel,  Alberta Native News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The British Columbia government says it won’t appeal a June 29 court ruling that unchecked industrial development in northeastern B.C. violates the treaty rights of the Blueberry River First Nation, the CBC reports.

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