Unceded Territory: what does it mean?

If you have attended an event at Nootka or many other institutions around Vancouver, you’ve probably heard someone address the crowd to acknowledge that ‘we live, work and play on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.’ But, have you ever wondered what that means?

In short, it is a way to acknowledge that during the founding of British Columbia as a part of Canada, the local First Nations did not actually give up the land by treaty as was done in other parts of the nation.

For more information, see:

http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2014/06/25/vancouver-acknowledges-city-on-unceded-first-nations-territory.html

http://www.megaphonemagazine.com/unceded_territory