Time to Dismantle a Centuries-Old Heist: Returning Stolen Land in Canada
They told you Canada was born from peaceful treaties and noble exploration. They lied. The very foundation of this nation rests on a calculated and criminal enterprise, a partnership between the British Crown and the Catholic Church to dispossess Indigenous peoples of their lands, their cultures, and their futures. The vast swaths of territory we call "Crown land" are not the rightful property of a distant monarch, but the stolen birthright of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. It's time to end this colonial charade and give the land back.
The Paperwork for a Heist: The Doctrine of Discovery and Royal Proclamations
This grand theft began with a piece of paper. The "Doctrine of Discovery," a series of 15th-century papal bulls, gave Christian explorers the religious justification to claim lands inhabited by non-Christians [1, 2, 3]. This racist and arrogant doctrine, which the Vatican has only recently repudiated, was the legal and moral foundation for the colonization of North America [1, 2, 3]. It established the idea that Indigenous peoples were "infidels" and "savages" with no right to their own land.
King George III's Royal Proclamation of 1763 is often touted as a document that protected Indigenous rights, but in reality, it solidified the Crown's claim to all land in what would become Canada [1, 2, 3]. While it acknowledged an "Aboriginal title," it also stipulated that this title could only be extinguished by treaty with the Crown [1, 2, 3]. This set the stage for a series of coercive and often fraudulent treaties where Indigenous nations were forced to cede vast territories in exchange for meager reserves and empty promises.
The Crown's Complicity: A Legacy of Broken Promises
The British Crown, and by extension, the Canadian government, has systematically violated the treaties it signed with Indigenous nations [1, 2, 3]. The Numbered Treaties, signed between 1871 and 1921, were presented as sacred agreements, but were instead used to extinguish Aboriginal title and open up the west for settlement and resource extraction [1, 2, 3]. The Crown has consistently failed to uphold its fiduciary duty to protect Indigenous lands and rights, instead prioritizing the interests of settlers and corporations [1, 2, 3].
The Church's Role: A Spiritual Justification for a Material Crime
The Catholic Church was not a passive observer in this colonial project; it was an active and enthusiastic participant [1, 2, 3]. The Church's missionaries worked hand-in-hand with the Crown to assimilate Indigenous peoples, viewing their cultures and spiritual beliefs as inferior and demonic [1, 2, 3]. The horrific legacy of the residential school system, where thousands of Indigenous children were subjected to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in the name of a "Christian education," is a stark reminder of the Church's complicity in this cultural genocide [1, 2, 3].
The Land Back Movement: A Path to Justice and Reconciliation
But the story doesn't end there. A powerful, Indigenous-led movement is rising across the country: the Land Back movement. This is not just a call for the return of stolen land; it is a demand for the restoration of Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and the right to govern their own territories according to their own laws and traditions [1, 2, 3]. Land Back is not about kicking people out of their homes; it is about returning to a model of shared stewardship and respect for the land that has sustained life on this continent for millennia.
A Call to Action: The Future of Canada is in Our Hands
The time for empty apologies and symbolic gestures is over. True reconciliation requires tangible action. It requires the Canadian government and the Crown to acknowledge the fraudulent and criminal nature of their claim to "Crown land" and to begin the process of returning it to its rightful owners. It requires the Catholic Church to make meaningful reparations for its role in the cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples.
This is not a radical idea. It is a necessary step towards a more just and equitable future for all who live on this land. The choice is ours: we can continue to be complicit in a centuries-old crime, or we can stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and demand a new relationship based on respect, justice, and the return of what was stolen.
References
- University of British Columbia. (n.d.). Aboriginal Title. Indigenous Foundations. Retrieved from https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/aboriginal_title/
- Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (n.d.). The Doctrine of Discovery. Retrieved from https://humanrights.ca/story/doctrine-discovery
- Wikipedia. (2024, August 15). Discovery doctrine. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_doctrine
Additional Reading
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. (2023, March 15). The Numbered Treaties (1871-1921). Retrieved from https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1360948213124/1544620003549
- Ontario Nature. (2021, June 30). Land Back Movement. Retrieved from https://ontarionature.org/land-back-movement-blog/
- The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2022, December 16). Monarchism. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/monarchism
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