The Land Returns · Episode 2 of 14 · 20 min
Canada: Reconciliation and the Reserve
Canada's answer to turning reconciliation into acres is real but notoriously slow. The episode walks through the Additions to Reserve process, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Land Back turn, Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and co-management boards at Gwaii Haanas, Torngat Mountains, and Thaidene Nene. It includes the 2025 negotiated recognition of Haida Aboriginal title.
Where it happens
- Gwaii Haanas, British Columbia+1 more episodearchipelago co-managed by Haida Nation and Canada
- Haida Gwaii, British Columbia+1 more episoderecognized as Haida Aboriginal title lands
- Thaidene Nene, Northwest TerritoriesIndigenous-led protected area of 26,376 square kilometers
- Torngat Mountains National Park, Labradorco-managed under the Inuit land claim
Timeline
- 1876Indian Act codifies reserves as a legal land category
- 1982Section 35 recognizes Aboriginal and treaty rights
- 1993Gwaii Haanas Agreement sets co-management
- 2015Truth and Reconciliation Commission issues 94 Calls to Action
- 2019Thaidene Nene established
- February 17, 2025Canada and the Haida Nation sign the federal title recognition agreement
Still debated
Ottawa argues the slow reserve-addition process reflects due diligence, while critics say decades-long timelines are themselves a breach of the treaty relationship. Whether conservation deals substitute for or complement title return is also argued.