{"id":16706,"date":"2025-02-17T18:27:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T18:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/17\/federal-government-affirms-aboriginal-title-over-haida-gwaii\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T18:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T18:27:30","slug":"federal-government-affirms-aboriginal-title-over-haida-gwaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/17\/federal-government-affirms-aboriginal-title-over-haida-gwaii\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal government affirms Aboriginal title over Haida Gwaii"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The federal government will recognize Aboriginal title over the archipelago of Haida Gwaii<\/a> off British Columbia\u2019s northern coast in a historic agreement with the Haida First Nation.<\/p>\n

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Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree says this is the first time the federal government has recognized Aboriginal title through negotiations.<\/p>\n

He says in an interview that it\u2019s a \u201chugely significant\u201d achievement that will reset the relationship in a \u201cvery meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Big Tide Haida Title Lands Agreement affirms that the Haida have Aboriginal title over all of the islands\u2019 lands, beds of freshwater bodies, and foreshores to the low-tide mark.<\/p>\n

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The agreement transitions the Crown-title land to the Haida people, granting them an inherent legal right to the land. The transfer of the underlying title would affect how courts interpret issues involving disputes.<\/p>\n

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Anandasangaree says this will kick off a five-year transition period and will require legislation to iron out all the individual details about how this will apply in practice.<\/p>\n

Ottawa says it will work \u201crespectfully and co-operatively\u201d with the Haida Nation on matters relating to Haida Gwaii.<\/p>\n

It says both governments have agreed the shift will be \u201corderly and incremental\u201d to provide stability to residents and other interest holders.<\/p>\n

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The agreement follows similar recognition by the B.C. government last year.<\/p>\n

It resolves a four-decade-long fight that began with a logging blockade and became an intensely fought legal battle.<\/p>\n

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The agreement comes more than two decades after the Council of the Haida Nation launched a legal challenge against Canada and the province, seeking a declaration of Aboriginal title.<\/p>\n

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The ministry says the three parties have been negotiating since 2021 to \u201cincrementally negotiate\u201d matters that would otherwise have to be litigated.<\/p>\n

It says Canada provided $59 million in funding to the Haida in an \u201cadvance capital transfer\u201d to boost the nation\u2019s \u201cgovernance capacity building.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 15 per cent of Haida Gwaii is owned, managed or used by the federal government, including a national park and Haida heritage site.<\/p>\n

A further two per cent are owned by other parties.<\/p>\n

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