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Despite the colonial structures and policies designed to control and eliminate Indigenous cultures and practices, the Musqueam have kept their language and culture alive, with robust language preservation and increasing economic autonomy through land claims. In the face of practices of removal and oppression, Musqueam culture is not something of the past. The Musqueam are vibrant and resilient people who have persisted and defended their rights in the face of extreme oppression and pervasive colonization.
Musqueam Declaration and court wins
Musqueam Declaration and court wins
In 1976, the Musqueam declared their title and rights to use and travel upon their lands through the Musqueam Declaration. Furthermore, they asserted their right to govern themselves and their communities according to their customs, beliefs, and laws, paving the way for legal wins and the repatriation of some of their traditional territories. For example, in Guerin v. the Queen in 1984, the courts sided with the Musqueam in a land claim dispute. Over 182 acres of land were wrongfully leased to a Vancouver golf club on terms that the Musqueam did not agree to, and the Musqueam were awarded $10 million. Furthermore, the 1990 precedent-setting Sparrow case involving a Musqueam fisher affirmed the traditional rights of Indigenous peoples to fish.
Case study: Marpole development resistance
Case study: Marpole development resistance
The Musqueam people have strongly asserted their rights and title to their unceded lands. In 2011, Musqueam land defenders stood up against a proposed development in the Vancouver area of Marpole in a prominent example of resistance. A 108-unit condo building was poised to be built without the consultation of the Musqueam people. Through oral history, the location was an occupied Musqueam area until smallpox wiped out the local population. Though the landowners pointed to their 50-year ownership of the land to justify their right to develop, Indigenous peoples reminded people that the Canadian government banned them from purchasing property at the time. Furthermore, the Musqueam had lived and stewarded this land for generations before settlers arrived, reflecting settler ignorance and feelings of righteousness over these stolen lands.
Upon construction, the owners discovered ancestral remains of the Musqueam people, prompting the Musqueam people to stand in the way of construction. In the act of resilience and courage, the Musqueam community held a vigil on the construction lands for over 200 days, day and night, while a solution was negotiated. In an imperfect resolution, the Musqueam had to buy back the land using their funds. However, they succeeded in protecting their ancestral lands and coming together as a nation.
Recent wins
Recent wins
In recent years, the Musqueam people have experienced even more wins as they build towards the reclamation of land and jurisdiction. In 2017, they reached an agreement with the Vancouver Airport (YVR) that acknowledges Musqueam presence and rights. The collaboration stipulates that the Musqueam people will receive 1 percent of the YVR's annual revenue. In addition, in 2022, the Musqueam, along with neighbours Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish, initiated a Task Force to advance the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver City Council, leading the future of Indigenous relations and decolonization. Proposed action measures include promoting self-determination and the right to self-govern, revenue sharing with the nations, and repatriating City-owned lands to the Indigenous nations.
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