On Wednesday, Matsqui First Nation announced a $59 million settlement agreement with the Government of Canada for land.
At a press conference for the settlement, Matsqui Chief Alice McKay rejected the word “reconciliation” and said the settlement is instead a recognition of past harms and a commitment to building a relationship between nations going forward.
The settlement was the result of over a decade of work after filing a claim under Canada’s official specific claims policy back in 2010.
One of Matsqui Nation’s governing members, Stanley Morgan, described the nature of the settlement as compensation for Canada’s breach of a land negotiation agreed upon in 1864.
“Before confederation, our tribe had a 9,600 acre reserve. The largest of its kind in Stó:lō Territory. That reserve was reduced by ninety-nine per cent. Ninety-nine per cent of our land was stolen from us,” said McKay.
Morgan told reporters the settlement money will be used for development initiatives on what remains of Matsqui reserve land, North of Abbotsford, and into trusts among the some 230 members of the Nation.
CIVL Radio was welcomed onto Matsqui territory to cover the announcement and spoke with residents about the significance of the settlement.
