Reconciling with capitalism: Selling Crown land to settle with First Nations
Abstract This article examines the connection between privatization and reconciliation in Canada, witnessed through the disposal of federal and provincial land in Vancouver. The Jericho Lands were sold to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil‐Waututh Development Corporation (MST) in joint partnership w...
Published in: | Canadian Public Administration |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/capa.12415 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/capa.12415 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/capa.12415 |
Summary: | Abstract This article examines the connection between privatization and reconciliation in Canada, witnessed through the disposal of federal and provincial land in Vancouver. The Jericho Lands were sold to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil‐Waututh Development Corporation (MST) in joint partnership with the federal Crown corporation Canada Lands Company (CLC). This deal was partially funded through Crown‐provided accommodation payments seeking to address unceded territory claims through commercial transactions. The remainder of the MST land purchase featured a vendor take‐back mortgage (where a seller lends money to the buyer) that tethers MST repayment to revenue earned through land speculation, thus merging Indigenous reconciliation with capitalist imperatives. With scant scholarly literature on the subject, the article makes extensive use of relevant primary sources like Hansard transcripts, government reports, press statements, and planning documents. It finds land development conflicts familiar to privatization generally, namely problems of secrecy, affordability, and commercialization. |
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