Land Back Movement in Canada

Introduction

• Slogan: "Land Back"
• Demand: Return of stolen land to Indigenous peoples
• This demand isn't new but has been emphasized by native youth recently.

Historical Context

• Settler governments have always coveted and taken Indigenous land.
  • Example: Governor Cornwallis's 1749 proclamation - bounty on Indigenous lives.
  • Example: Canadian government in the prairies used RCMP and food ration control.
• Attack on native bodies and spirits was central to dispossession.
  • Methods: Residential schools, Christianity, patriarchal control, and sexualized violence.
• Indigenous lands reduced to small reserves.
  • Stat: Indian reserves account for just 0.2% of Canadian land.
  • Comparison: Navajo Nation's reservation in U.S. is larger than all Canadian reserves combined.

Crown Land

• Nearly all of Canada is considered Crown land, technically owned by the British monarchy.
• Racist legal fiction: Indigenous laws ignored, only the Crown could own land.
• Government leases/sells land cheaply to multinational companies, leading to Indigenous poverty.

Indigenous Resistance and Legal Recognitions

• Continuous Indigenous resistance against genocide and land theft.
• Support: Government's royal commissions and Supreme Court rulings affirm Aboriginal title.
  • Aboriginal title: Lands should be owned and governed by First Nations.
• Government of Canada often fails to implement these decisions.
  • Repeatedly breaks its own laws.

Modern Context of Land Theft

• Land theft continues today driven by profit motives and racist denial of First Nation jurisdiction.
• Resistance: First Nations face heavy retaliation from Canada when protecting their lands.
• Current government pursuits: Force Indigenous peoples to give up their land rights.

Vision for Land Back

• Misconception: Land Back isn't about expelling non-natives.
• Proposal: Return Crown lands to First Nations.
  • Corporations vs. First Nations perspective on land use.
  • First Nations could enforce sustainable and responsible usage.
  • Potential for eco-tourism, sustainable logging, post-carbon economy initiatives (e.g. solar and wind farms).

Benefits of Land Back

• Sustainable Resource Extraction: First Nations decide terms and beneficiaries.
• Reparations: Compensation for irreparably damaged or sold lands.
• Environmental Stewardship: Indigenous peoples protect 80% of global biodiversity despite being less than 5% of the population.

Conclusion

• Redistribution of resources/power: Pathway to a more sustainable relationship with the environment.
• Nation to Nation Relationship: Real commitment requires land back.