Your private property may not be safe from Aboriginal-title court cases

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of recent court rulings on Aboriginal title and private property rights in Canada.

Confusing messages are the only guarantee after the Cowichan ruling and the Musqueam deal. The August court case confirmed a First Nation band has “title” over B.C. land that belongs to private property owners, while the federal government’s deal confirms Musqueam rights and title over Vancouver. Dwight Newman, a law professor specializing in Indigenous rights, tells Brian that assurances to private property owners that they won’t lose their land only go so far. What might not be targeted today could be tomorrow, he says. They discuss how the court case and government deal, along with the growing power of UNDRIP in Canadian law, only give more power and leverage to First Nations. And not just in B.C., but across Canada. (Recorded March 5, 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Brian

Guest: Dwight Newman

Topics covered

• Aboriginal title
• private property rights
• Indigenous rights
• court cases
• UNDRIP
• First Nations

Keywords

• Aboriginal title
• private property
• court case
• Indigenous rights
• UNDRIP
• First Nations
• B.C.
• Vancouver

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Postmedia

Places: B.C., Vancouver

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