British Colombia (BC) is unique in Canada in that most of the province is unceded, non-surrendered Indigenous territories. According to British & Canadian laws, sovereign Indigenous territories were to be legally surrendered to the Crown prior to any trade or settlement. This was set out in the 1763 Royal Proclamation. In accordance with this, the British, and later Canada, carried out a series of treaties in its westward expansion across the prairies, and the northwest territory...
Of course that doesn't mean much when you 'win' the (questionable) right to hold an Olympics (mostly they lose money, loadsa money!). I found this interesting info on the upcoming Winter Olympics. Various protests accompanied the now perverse ritual of the olympic torch (remember the Beijing Olympics?!). Follow it here... and broader BC issues here...
In this phot (by Adrian Dorst), a member of Hesquiat First Nation looks over the clearcut wasteland of his ancestral territory on Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island. In the distance can be seen the deep cuts of logging roads and erosion that scar the mountain, evidence of the brutal approach of corporate running dog, Interfor.
I admit there's not a lot we can do, other than inform ourselves and drop it into conversation during the undoubted hours of coverage we can look forward to. (The Romans sussed this two millenia ago: bread and Circuses...). And yes our liberal Pakeha friends will go, 'Jeez, that's a shame...'.
Bear witness e hoa ma!
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