Nearly 80% of B.C. locked in active Aboriginal land grab battles

A Juno News analysis of active Indigenous land claims, litigation and ongoing negotiation found that a vast majority of B.C. land is covered by Aboriginal title disputes.

Nearly all of British Columbia is tied up in competing Indigenous land claims, with just 5% of the province covered by settled treaties. A Juno News review found roughly 80% of B.C.’s land base is currently under active claims in courts or negotiations, while some First Nations argue as much as 95% remains unceded.

The province spans roughly 944,735 square kilometres and is home to 203 First Nations in British Columbia. A Juno News review of active Indigenous land claims found that a vast majority of the British Columbia land base is currently tied to active claims moving through courts or the B.C. Treaty Commission process, large-scale title litigation and government-to-government negotiations.