Doug Rogers

Rethinking Land Rights in British Columbia

Land acknowledgements have become a routine part of public life in British Columbia. Before meetings, concerts, workshops and community events, we are reminded that we stand on the traditional territory of Indigenous nations who lived here long before European settlement. The intentions behind these acknowledgements are clear. They aim to express respect and acknowledge history. The question that rarely gets asked aloud is a simple one. What do these acknowledgements truly mean when viewed through the long arc of human history?

     Human civilization has never worked on the belief that land remains forever tied to the first people who occupied it. Every region of the world carries the same story of movement and change. Tribes expanded. Empires rose or dissolved. Borders shifted through conflict, negotiation or the slow influence of time. The people who lived in a place five hundred years ago are rarely the same as the people who live there today. Nations have always adapted to the circumstances created by history.

     Europe illustrates this reality clearly. Modern Italians do not pursue restitution from descendants of long forgotten invaders. The English are not returning portions of their land to descendants of Vikings or Normans. Egypt does not attempt to restore boundaries from kingdoms that existed three thousand years ago. These ideas never take hold in serious discussions because history moves forward. Land possession reflects the outcomes of that movement.

     Canada has created an exception to this global pattern, especially here in British Columbia. Many regions did not see formal treaties during the formation of the country. As a result, modern governments, courts and residents are asked to interpret obligations linked to events that occurred long before Canada existed as a sovereign nation. This creates a legal and political landscape that tries to reconcile centuries old disputes with modern realities that bear little resemblance to the world of that time.

     Respect for culture, heritage and identity remains essential to any society. Clear land ownership and stability are equally essential for a functioning country. Canadians living here today are not the Europeans who first arrived. Indigenous communities of today are not identical to those that existed at the point of contact. Time has reshaped every culture and every community involved.

     Conversations around land rights often imagine history as something that can be reset. Real life does not operate on that idea. Nations cannot reverse centuries of development without creating consequences far beyond the original dispute.   Healthy dialogue requires recognition of the past combined with practical solutions for the future. Respect for Indigenous culture and modern Canadian identity can coexist. The challenge lies in accepting that the Canada of today exists because history unfolded the way it did. Reversing that process is not possible. Progress requires fairness, clarity and a shared commitment to building a stable future for everyone in this province.

I struggle to understand the expectation that land legally deeded to individuals or corporations should somehow return to earlier forms of ownership simply because that land was once used by Indigenous communities. That era is gone. The circumstances, the people and the structure of our province have evolved into a modern sovereign country. Any relics of ownership from centuries ago disappeared with the creation of the nation we live in today. Claims based on distant history cannot override the legal and social foundation that defines the Canada of the present.