Musqueam chief says talks may be way out of Cowichan Aboriginal title dispute

By Nono Shen The chief of the Musqueam Indian Band says the nation is ready to go to the Supreme Court of Canada as it fights the landmark Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title ruling — but he also see another way out of the dispute that he says has triggered an outpouring of racism. Asked if he’s open to negotiations with the provincial government, private land owners and the Cowichan tribes, Chief Wayne Sparrow says the band is “willing to sit down and have discussions.” Sparrow says that since the Aug. 7 ruling, the Musqueam have had no communications with the Cowichan, whose claim over the 300-hectare title area on the Fraser River in Richmond, B.C., was disputed by his First Nation, as well as the province and the City of…

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