25 years after the Delgamuukw case, Indigenous communities still fighting for protection of land use
CTV
Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled Indigenous people hold rights to the exclusive use and occupation of their land.
Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled Indigenous people hold rights to the exclusive use and occupation of their land.
While some progress has been made, leaders of the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan nations say they continue to fight for that land title recognition.
Hanamaux, a Gitxsan Sim'oogit (Chief) who also goes by Don Ryan, has been fighting for decades for the protection of his people's land.
Despite the court's historic 1997 decision in Delgamuukw v. British Columbia, Hanamaux said the Crown has not done a good job at honouring it.
"So, when we engage the Crown, they send people to us and all they are are notetakers. And they're really not making any types of decisions," he said.
For years, some members of local Indigenous communities have rejected the contentious, multi-billion-dollar Coastal GasLink Pipeline project. Hanamaux is one of those who finds the condition of his territory concerning.
"What's happening on the territory, we're seeing parts of the Alpine zones drying out, the glaciers are disappearing, some of the upper basins are drying out," he said. "The surface water is drying out, the wetlands are drying out. We're seeing all of that all happening. So when you see all of that, then you really have to address climate change."
