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6d ago

B.C. Court Order Confirms Haida Nation’s Aboriginal Title Across Haida Gwaii

The consent order removes the need for the Haida to re‑prove title, moving the parties into a multi‑year transition to sort governance.

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Haida elder Captain Gold, with members of a youth group paddle a canoe against spectacular backdrop of forested mountains in the Gwaii Haanas National Park July 5, 2012.
The Haida Nation president, Gaagwiis, also known as Jason Alsop in 2023.
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Overview

  • Justice Christopher Giaschi issued a Sept. 5 consent order that gives legal force to a 2024 recognition agreement requested by the Haida Nation, British Columbia, and Canada.
  • The declaration covers the archipelago’s land, freshwater beds, and intertidal zones, marking comprehensive recognition across the territory.
  • Privately owned fee‑simple properties remain under existing B.C. and local authority, with local bylaws, services, and property taxes continuing as before.
  • The order directs reconciliation of Haida, provincial, and federal laws over time, with negotiations on Crown‑land tenures and protected areas expected to take years.
  • B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad criticized the move and called for an appeal and explicit province‑wide protections for private property, as separate Cowichan title appeals proceed.