Delgamuukw 25 years on: How Canada has undermined the landmark decision on Indigenous land rights

A woman takes part in a demonstration in Vancouver against the construction of a natural gas pipeline through traditional Wet'suwet'en territories, in February 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Delgamuukw case on Aboriginal title. In 1997, the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan Nations brought the watershed case before the Supreme Court, yet a countrywide battle remains over implementation of the Delgamuukw decision involving all First nations.

The Nations sought a declaration of ownership and jurisdiction over their lands. The Supreme Court agreed that Indigenous Peoples held a unique property right to their land that was held as a collective interest by a nation.