Land Acknowledgments Are Consequential
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I’ve been waiting for this shoe to drop.
https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/klein-politicians-ignored-the-meaning-of-land-acknowledgements
Across Canada, land acknowledgements have become routine. They’re read at schools, city council meetings, concerts, and even hockey games. They are presented as simple statements of truth — a gesture of respect, not politics. But as we’ve seen in recent court decisions and local developments, that claim no longer holds up. Land acknowledgements are political by nature and by consequence.
The recent decision from the B.C. Supreme Court involving the Cowichan Tribes makes that clear. For the first time, a Canadian court ruled that Aboriginal title can exist even on private land — a concept known as fee simple title. That means a First Nation can hold a prior and senior right over land that an individual or business may have purchased generations ago. In this case, the court ruled that some of those private lands in Richmond, B.C., should be returned to the Cowichan Tribe’s ownership and control..
It’s a landmark ruling with implications far beyond British Columbia. It raises fundamental questions about property rights and ownership nationwide. What happens to people living on land identified as “unceded”? Will they continue to hold the full title, or will they have to lease the land? Could private citizens or businesses be asked to pay taxes or fees to Indigenous governments in addition to those paid to municipal or provincial authorities??
These are not abstract questions. They go to the heart of how our country defines ownership, law, and equality. When a land acknowledgement claims that a piece of land is “unceded,” it implies that someone else still owns it. Whether one agrees with that claim or not, it is inherently political. It takes a side in an ongoing, deeply complex debate over sovereignty, history, and justice.
That debate is now playing out here in Manitoba. At the junction of Provincial Roads 313 and 315, just east of Lac du Bonnet, a new sign has been installed by Sagkeeng First Nation. It informs visitors that they now require prior approval from the community’s Chief and Council to enter the area. The sign reinforces Sagkeeng’s assertion of authority over what it considers traditional territory — a region that includes Crown lands and popular recreation areas used by Manitobans for decades. A reader told the Winnipeg Sun another sign has been erected at the corner of Highway 304 and 59..
Local residents and outdoor enthusiasts are understandably confused. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation has contacted the province to ask whether public access roads and Crown land remain open. There’s been no clear response from either the provincial or federal governments.
Meanwhile, Sagkeeng says the signage is part of a broader effort to protect and manage its ancestral lands — territory it claims has sustained its people “since time immemorial.” Its leaders argue that governments have failed to manage resources responsibly, and the community is now taking a more active role. Visitors are welcome, but they’re told to respect local customs and laws, including restrictions on hunting, fishing, and trapping without permission..
This is not a small matter. It reflects a shift that goes far beyond symbolic gestures. Indigenous governments are asserting more control over lands they believe were never ceded or were mismanaged by the Crown. The Cowichan ruling will only accelerate this movement. Whether one sees that as progress or as a source of uncertainty, it is unmistakably political.
What concerns many Canadians — including business owners, investors, and property holders — is that government leaders seem unwilling to acknowledge what’s happening. Politicians who eagerly introduced land acknowledgements into public institutions now appear silent as the legal and economic consequences of those words begin to unfold. It’s fair to ask whether they ever understood what they were endorsing..
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I just find it annoying. Nothing more. Am sure it will fade away as time goes on. In the meantime, I’ll treat indigenous land acknowledgements the same as having to recite the Lord’s Prayer or say grace at a solemn occasion or group dinner. I quietly refuse to participate and simply bow my head in polite reticence.
Edit: FWIW, the BC Supreme Court’s ruling is of little if any consequence in BC and zero concern or consequence outside of BC beyond Sun Media. Certainly not in Manitoba where the story was published as News..
