If you are a non-Indigenous Canadian living in British Columbia – or, in fact, anywhere in Canada – it’s possible you feel uneasy about the way Indigenous Rights have taken centre stage. Seemingly suddenly, Indigenous Rights issues are in the news, in the courts, and in Parliament. With so much media attention, it’s understandable that you might have questions about how your life will be impacted and whether you will experience any negative repercussions. In fact, every major social movement in history has prompted similar concerns, as people wonder whether expanding rights for one group could shrink their own.
SEḴÁN (Bracken Fern)
The W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (W̱LC) would like to help non-Indigenous Canadians understand why the recent changes in law, policy, and public attention are nothing to fear, rather, they are an indicator that all of us, together, are heading in the right direction. The bottom line is this: a greater recognition of Indigenous Rights in Canada doesn’t mean fewer rights for Canadians; it means more stability, wealth, and prosperity for us all.
Recent developments across Canada reflect recent recognition of and action to support Indigenous Rights and Aboriginal title to the land Indigenous people used before settlers arrived. For example, both British Columbia and the Canadian government implemented laws enacting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in recent years. Similarly, the Court in Yahey v. British Columbia recently found that the cumulative impact of industrial activity and development over time amounted to an infringement on Indigenous Treaty Rights. And, in the biggest news as of late, the Supreme Court of British Columbia recognized Aboriginal title over a large part of property in the City of Richmond in a case called Cowichan Tribes v. Canada.
These laws and cases have increased recognition of Indigenous Rights and have left many Canadians feeling confused and uncertain about what they mean for their own rights. As W̱SÁNEĆ, we understand how it feels to be afraid that your way of life is going to change.
Our ancestors have lived on this land for thousands of years, but our lives were profoundly altered with the arrival of settlers. Since then, our ways of life have been continually reshaped by governments to meet the needs of the settler population. In 1862, settlers brought smallpox to our territory, triggering an epidemic that claimed the lives of approximately 60% of our people. This devastating loss had lasting consequences, leaving our population smaller and limiting our access to traditional lands compared to what might have been without this early catastrophe.
As settlers’ presence grew, they outlawed our traditional ways of life – including our governance structures, access to resources, celebrations and economic activities. The new government, for example, made our traditional fishing economy illegal and replaced our traditional fishing locations with settler-owned fisheries that didn’t follow our laws about sustainable harvest. Similarly, in the late 1800’s, the Canadian government banned traditional gatherings such as the potlatch which interrupted our social and governance structures. Our lands were sold, subdivided and developed into housing and farmland. This removed our ability to harvest any plants, birds, or other animals, all of which are foundational to sustaining ourselves and our ability to take part in the economy. In parallel to these efforts to erase our traditional way of life, the Canadian government took steps to ensure we also could not effectively participate in the new colonial systems by imposing significant obstacles to voting, the legal system and land ownership.
Efforts to eliminate Indigenous culture also existed in the form of residential schools – a school system “designed explicitly to ‘take the Indian out of the child.’” W̱SÁNEĆ children were taken from their families and forced to attend these schools. Once there, they experienced abuse, neglect, and other violence that – in over 4,000 instances – led to death. Even when the children survived, their understanding of our culture didn’t. Residential schools went to great lengths to stop Indigenous students from engaging in any traditional practices. In fact, “they were forbidden to speak their languages, practice their cultures, or connect with their communities.” This caused far-reaching trauma, disconnected family structures, and a loss of cultural knowledge that persists to this day.
The trauma, population loss, environmental and economic disruption, and deterioration of cultural knowledge were an intentional, sustained assault on W̱SÁNEĆ. Additionally, W̱SÁNEĆ continue to experience harassment or wrongful arrest. And, due to overfishing and other impacts of industrialization, we’ve lost our ability to hunt and engage in traditional practices on the lands we used to occupy.
We share this information not for its own sake, but rather to make it clear that we understand what it’s like to feel like the way of life you and your family enjoy may be taken away from you. Each and every one of us – whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous – ultimately wants the same thing: to be able to live happily, to practice our traditions freely, and to enjoy a good life with our families and our communities. And, we can assure you that the acts of reconciliation the Canadian government is engaging in will move all of us closer to that goal.
In the Cowichan Tribes case in particular, we have seen a significant amount of concern that the recognition of Aboriginal title in land currently occupied by Canadians will disrupt Canadians’ lives. Specifically, the media is spinning a narrative that recognizing Aboriginal title means Canadian private property owners will lose their homes.
Far from stripping Canadians of their private property, however, the Court in Cowichan Tribes actually called for something much more collaborative: for the Crown and Cowichan Nation to finally have a conversation about how to reconcile Aboriginal title with private property ownership.
The Court did not create the need for this conversation – the need has existed since the Province was established, and we were displaced, 150 years ago. They simply declared that – for the sake of everyone involved – the time to resolve it has come. In the words of Lyackson Hereditary Chief Shana Thomas:
This ruling is a step toward Reconciliation—not a threat to it. It offers an opportunity for governments, communities, and the public to engage in meaningful dialogue about First Nations land rights and historical truths despite colonization. By recognizing and respecting First Nations’ rights, we create certainty and build a more just society. Reconciliation must be more than a word – it must be an action.
The recent efforts by the Canadian government to engage in reconciliation – whether through law, policy, or otherwise – are similar to the outcome in Cowichan Tribes in that they are merely bringing existing issues to light to create future stability for everyone involved, whether Canadian or Indigenous.
With a history like British Columbia’s, going on indefinitely without pausing to right the wrongs of the past would mean living in a country with foundational cracks held together by band-aids; it wouldn’t be sustainable. It would and should also raise serious questions for all Canadians (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) about how secure any rights are if there are not serious and sincere efforts to uphold Indigenous rights. Having these conversations creates an opportunity to create a sturdy foundation we can all grow from and feel secure in.
Thus, while the swell in conversation about reconciliation may feel sudden, it is a long-time coming – the visible peak of an iceberg of work by Indigenous peoples and allies to regain the rights and prosperity lost over the last 150 years.
At this moment, Canadians have an opportunity to be on the right side of history. This is particularly urgent today given the current threat to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act (“DRIPA”) – a law unanimously passed in 2019 that established UNDRIP as the reconciliation framework for B.C. DRIPA came under attack in 2025 after the Supreme Court of Canada and Court of Appeal for British Columbia applied the law to protect Indigenous rights and Title in Cowichan Tribes and Gitxaala v. British Columbia. Rather than embracing the successful application of the law as a vehicle for protecting Indigenous rights, the decisions led to fear-based public backlash and a promise by B.C. Premier David Eby to amend or suspend DRIPA, thereby weakening its protections. While Eby has since walked back this plan, the future of DRIPA remains uncertain.
By rejecting fearful narratives and embracing a collaborative approach to reconciliation, you can play a role in righting the wrongs of the past, protecting helpful legislation like DRIPA, and building a future where Canadians and Indigenous peoples thrive, side by side.
Standing on the right side of history is nothing new to our generation of Canadians. As leaders in global human rights, Canadians have demonstrated a commitment to improving the standing of human beings around the world by implementing keystone conventions and declarations such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Thanks to these actions on the international stage and the private actions of Canadians in their day-to-day lives, Canadians have earned a reputation as inclusive, kind, and peacekeeping people who embrace others from all cultures and walks of life. Working together now to protect DRIPA and engage in reconciliation – both as a nation and as individuals – is the natural next step for a people so dedicated to doing what’s right.
Ready to help Canada take the next step forward as a leader in human rights? There are three steps every Canadian can take to make a meaningful difference:
- Get educated.
Set aside time to study the historical relationship between Canadians and Indigenous peoples, to discover what Indigenous territory you live on, and to learn how to pronounce the names of the Indigenous communities and languages in your area.
For those living in BC, Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now by George Abbott is a particularly helpful resource.
- Speak up about Indigenous rights.
Commit to standing up for Indigenous rights in discussions with other non-Indigenous Canadians and take time to learn how to do this safely and effectively. While you won’t “win” every conversation, noting your dissent and being willing to engage makes a meaningful difference and moves the needle towards a more just future.
Many great resources exist to support these conversations. Two starting points include reading How to talk about racism with friends and family, a CBC News article by Nicholas Bage, and studying Home on Native Land, a free, self-guided course on Indigenous justice. - Commit to taking action.
Every action, big or small, makes a difference. Take action today by:
– Writing to your MLA and asking them to vote no on any proposals to amend or suspend DRIPA. Find out who your MLA is and get their email address here.
– Contributing to an organization engaged in reconciliation, such as W̱SÁNEĆ Lands Trust Society, an organization supporting the return of land to W̱SÁNEĆ.
– Donating to an Indigenous community organization such as the PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation, an organization focused on land-based education and restoration.
– Amplifying your impact by proactively initiating a conversation with your friends and family about what it means to put reconciliation into action.
Head to our “Resources for Settlers” page to learn more about how to be an ally in this important moment in history.
W̱LC is an organization working to enhance recognition and respect for W̱SÁNEĆ Douglas Treaty Rights and W̱SÁNEĆ Aboriginal rights and title. We work collaboratively and invite settlers to join us in our efforts to create a more just future for everyone. To stay up to date on our work, sign up for our newsletter.