Legislative amendments would allow First Nations to own land

 By Alexandra Mehl  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Victoria, BC – In early April the provincial government introduced legislative amendments to the B.C. Land Title and Property Law Act, that, if passed, will remove barriers for First Nation bands to acquire, hold and register land. “Many people in Canada do not know that First Nations could not own land in the province of British Columbia,” said Hugh Braker of the First Nations Summit. “Many people don’t know that in British Columbia, other provinces and in the federal system there are still laws that discriminate against Indigenous people that are founded in racism.” This year marks 150 years since the establishment of the B.C. Land Act which “explicitly forbid First Nation individuals from having interests in land,” said Murray Rankin, minister of Indigenous…

This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription – Corporate, Print Subscription Only, and Canada Print and Online members only.
Register
Already a member? Log in here

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.