Thoughts on BC Politics and More

In an apparent response to growing backlash and some deteriorating reconciliation and First Nations sentiment among the public, business community, and property owners — stemming from the major implications of a Supreme Court of British Columbia ruling that sided with the Cowichan Tribes’ land claims in Metro Vancouver — the leader of one of the region’s most prominent First Nations is speaking out against such disruptive, court-driven legal cases ... ...  Musqueam Indian Band chief Wayne Sparrow said his First Nation’s long-standing strategy prioritizes negotiations with governments outside the court system when seeking the transfer of government-owned public land — within areas it considers its traditional unceded territory — to its community ...  CLICK HERE for the full story

The same day that Premier David Eby began the NDP re-election campaign last September, he secretly signed an agreement to give the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation at least $600,000, an undefined quantity of FIFA World Cup 26 match tickets and passes, and a pavilion at the PNE’s FIFA Fan Festival. The memorandum of understanding was not revealed publicly until June 27 and quietly published a month later on a government website without notification ... CLICK HERE for the full story

After the federal election, Vancouver’s west side is now represented provincially by an MLA who has openly mocked residential school survivors and by a federal MP who grew up on the Musqueam reserve. It’s an indication of how residential school denialism and push-back against Indigenous rights have become right-wing political themes — and how communities are reacting ... CLICK HERE for the full story