Summary
Indigenous Sovereignty is a broad-arching topic, but at its core, it encompasses a reclamation of self-governance, independent of the Canadian government (see this link here for further details). This section will explore the relationship between self-governance and the land we inhabit, specifically through the lens of Land Back. As you will discover through the resources below, Land Back can mean varying things, like the literal restoration of land to Indigenous communities and/or to restoring the connection to the land that legal agreements have dispossessed Indigenous communities of (see the Yellowhead Institute’s pieces and “What Does Land Back Mean?”). This will be part 1 of (a non-exhaustive but indeterminate number of parts-long) series focusing on Indigenous Sovereignty and reclamation of Indigenous rights.
Brief Overview
Read, “What Does Land Back Mean?” (5 minutes)
What is one misconception you had about land sovereignty claims prior to learning about the land back campaign?
Watch Documentary on the crisis in Oka called Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (free, on YouTube) (2 hours)
For the French version, please see here – Kanehsatake: 270 ans de résistance
Listen to Red Man Laughing (podcast by Anishinaabe comedian Ryan McMahon) episode “Land” (34 mins)
Which one of Ryan’s stories (from the podcast) impacted you the most? What did you learn from it?
Browse through and read your choice of Yellowhead Institute’s pieces on Land Back (25 mins minimum)
Which aspect of the Yellowhead Institute’s report on Land Back stood out to you most? Why?
Digging Deeper
Listen to (at least) one episode of the podcast series, This Land (by Crooked Media) (each episode is roughly 40 minutes)
Read SUTE’s resources on the crises in Wet’suwet’en, Haida, or Oka (each roughly 3 minutes).
Develop a response for someone who asked you to explain the importance of land back, by using a Canadian example (i.e. provide a brief summary of a land defender claim you’ve learned about, and why it’s important to support land back in those instances – can be examples such as the Oka crisis, Wet’suwet’en, 1492 landback lane etc.)
Buy or borrow a copy of Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-up Call by Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson (read a sample here). You can use the library app, Libby, to borrow a copy of this book from your local library.
Read the CBC Article on Vancouver city giving land back to the Musqueam nation
