Canada Supreme Court Recognizes Aboriginal Title for First Time

The Canada Supreme Court ruled for the first time in favor of issuing a declaration of aboriginal title, or that an aboriginal group owns their land, David C. Nahwegahbow writes for CBC. The decision was in favor of the Tsilhqot'in Nation, who reside in the British Columbia province and who say they were not consulted about forestry operations within thier lands. According to Nahwegahbow, the Supreme Court rebuked with its ruling the doctrine of terra nullius, a theory that "espouses that Indigenous peoples were so uncivilized that they could not be seen in law to be true legal occupants and owners of their lands."