Land Decolonized Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Andrew Beynon is on a mission to support Land Code First Nations who want to overhaul Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve process. Mandated by Lands Advisory Board leadership, Beynon is working through layers of provincial and federal contacts to impress upon them the economic value of Nations moving more quickly to add lands to their reserve base. The system can be painfully show, often taking years, if not decades, to add land that would drastically improve a Nation's econ...

Send us Fan Mail It's encouraging to see young professionals learning to manage the complexities of Canada's additions-to-reserve policy. And to join the cause promoting a new, more timely approach. Take Sara Lehman for example. This Laurentian University graduate (Masters in Fisheries Ecology) is the Lands Director at Wahnapitae First Nation, just east of Sudbury, Ontario. This small community of about 790 members is working through a land claim involving 20,000 acres of its traditional land...

Send us Fan Mail In our continuing series on Canada's broken Additions-to-Reserve (ATR) policy, we speak with Desmond Peters, Lands Manager at Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation in British Columbia. The path to reclaiming land governance isn't easy, but Peters believes the process can be improved to better positions First Nations for success. Reform is drastically needed so Nations can expand their land bases – for reasons that are unique to each community. As a former Chief and Band Councillor,...

Send us Fan Mail Land sovereignty. What does it mean to a First Nation? How can it be achieved? Chief Gerry Duquette Jr. leads his community of Dokis First Nation in Ontario. He has hands-on experience with Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve policy. There's a huge backlog of communities that have to get federal approval before adding lands to their reserves – even tiny parcels that could be added in hours, or even days – not decades as is often the case. Chief Duquette sat down with host Ri...

Send us Fan Mail Phil Goulais has strong opinions about the need to radically redesign Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve policy. He knows the process well. Goulais is a respected former chief of Nipping First Nation, Grand Chief of the Robinson-Huron Territory and former Indian Commissioner of Ontario. He has seen first-hand how Nations are hindered, even blocked from adding critical new land to their reserves – land needed for economic growth, new housing, cultural protection and ma...