Delgamuukw vs. British Columbia underscores First Nations’ authority over their land
Amid the backdrop of nationwide protests, blockades and arrests, Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs on the front lines of the fight to stop a pipeline in their traditional territories are pointing to a Supreme Court case from the 1990s that underscores their authority over the land.
The decision in Delgamuukw vs. British Columbia was delivered on Dec. 11, 1997, acknowledging Aboriginal land title and setting a precedent for how it is understood in Canadian courts.
“The Supreme Court established that Wet’suwet’en had never extinguished title to our territories,” Molly Wickham, a governance director at the Office of the Wet’suwet’en, said on CBC’s The Early Edition. “Within Western law, they have acknowledged that we still have title to our territories — and this is an issue about title.”
Here’s what you need to know about the case — and why it’s pertinent today.
Jon Hernandez – CBC News – Feb 13, 2020.
Want More Investigative Content?
