Land Claims and Treaties
The Vancouver Public Library has extensive resources on B.C. Indigenous peoples' land claims, treaties and related topics. This guide is designed to help you begin your research and use Library resources effectively.
Building Effective Catalogue Searches
By Subject heading - region - subdivision:
By group:
Useful subdivisions are:
- Claims
- Government Relations
- History
- Land Tenure
- Treaties
Note: Be aware that terms or forms of names used in cataloguing or in titles of books may be different from those currently in use. For best results, you may need to use a variety of search terms or forms of names.
Examples:
- "Bella Bella" or "Heiltsuk"
- "Nootka" or "Nuchalnuth"
- "Indians" or "First Nations"
Useful Websites
Recommended Books
It Stops Here
305.897 G34i
2023
A personal account of one man's confrontation with colonization that illuminates the philosophy and values of a First Nation threatened by the Trans Mountain pipeline. It Stops Here is the story of the spiritual, cultural, and political resurgence of a nation taking action to reclaim their lands, waters, law, and food systems in face of colonization. The book recounts the intergenerational struggle of the Tsleil-Waututh to overcome the harms of colonization and the powerful stance they have taken against the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline--a fossil fuel megaproject that would triple the capacity of tar sands bitumen piped to tidewater on their unceded territory and result in a sevenfold increase in oil tankers moving through their waters. The book provides a firsthand account of this resurgence as told by one of the most prominent leaders of the widespread opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion--Rueben George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. He has devoted more than a decade of his life to fighting this project and shares stories about his family's deep ancestral connections to these waters that have provided the Tsleil-Waututh with a rich abundance of foods and medicines since time immemorial. Despite the systematic attempts at cultural genocide enacted by the colonial state, Rueben recounts how key leaders of the community, such as his grandfather, Chief Dan George, always taught the younger generations to be proud of who they were and to remember the importance of their connection to the inlet. Part memoir, part call to action, It Stops Here urges policy makers to prioritize sacred territory over oil profits and insists that colonial Canada change its perspective from bending natural resources to their will to respecting this territory and those who inhabit it.
Beyond rights : the Nisga'a Final Agreement and the challenges of modern treaty relationships
970.53 B62b
2021
In 2000, the Nisga'a treaty marked the culmination of over one hundred years of Nisga'a people protesting, petitioning, litigating, and negotiating for recognition of their rights and land title. Beyond Rights explores this ground-breaking achievement and its impact. Treaty making has long been an important element in relationships between the Crown and Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada, but modern treaties are more complex and multifaceted. Embodying the force of law, they are social and political compacts intended to create lasting reciprocal relationships between treaty partners. The Nisga'a were trailblazers in gaining Supreme Court recognition of unextinguished Aboriginal title, and the treaty marked a turning point in the relationship between First Nations and provincial and federal governments. By embedding three key elements - self-government, title, and control of citizenship - the Nisga'a treaty tackled fundamental issues concerning state sovereignty, the underlying title of the Crown, and the distribution of rights. Using this pivotal case study, Beyond Rights analyzes both the potential and the limits of treaty making as a way to address historical injustice and achieve contemporary legal recognition. It also assesses the possibilities for a distinct Indigenous citizenship in a settler state with a long history of exclusion and assimilation.
Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call
970.41 M29u
2015
British Columbia Indigenous leader chronicles the victories and failures, the hopes and the fears of a generation of activists fighting for Indigenous title and rights in Canada.
Consolidated Native Law Statutes, Regulations, and Treaties
970.505 C75
Includes the text of the Indian Act, related statutes and regulations, and treaties.
Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition
970.5 C855r
2014
UBC professor looks at Indigenous rights to land and self-government, and Indigenous peoples' right to benefit from the development of their lands and resources.
The Winter We Danced: Voices From the Past, the Future, and the Idle No More Movement
c820.8 W78k
2014
A collection of writing, poetry, lyrics, art, and images from the native sovereignty movement.
Negotiating the Deal: Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements in Canada
970.53 A34n
2013
Learn more about comprehensive land claims agreements (or modern day treaties). Using in-depth interviews with Indigenous leaders and government officials and comparing the experiences of four Indigenous groups, the author provides a good introduction to this important topic
Oral History on Trial: Recognizing Aboriginal Narratives in the Courts
970.5 M647o
2011
Examines the use of oral history in land claims court cases.
Digital Library Resources
Northwest History Index
This card index in Special Collection provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.
The collection includes:
- magazine and newspaper articles
- pamphlets
- books
- chapters in books
- many other resources
As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.