“All of the water that is in our reserves and that is in our territory is ours” : colonial and Indigenous water governance in unceded Indigenous territories in British Columbia ...

• Main Author: Simms, Beatrice Rose
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2014
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0165572; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0165572

With increasing legal recognition of Aboriginal rights and title, growing calls for collaborative water governance arrangements with First Nations, and approval of British Columbia’s new Water Sustainability Act (2014), shifts are unfolding in water governance in BC which have some significant implications for First Nations. First Nations across British Columbia have also clearly articulated that water and water governance are priority areas of concern. Within this context, this thesis examines the historic and present roles and experiences of First Nations in colonial water governance in British Columbia, based primarily on a case study conducted with the Lower Similkameen Indian Band. In Chapter 2, I examine the historical formation of reserves and the colonial water allocation system, exploring how the demarcation of reserve boundaries and water licenses established some fundamental barriers for First Nations in water access and governance that persist today. Chapter 3 provides an overview of concerns ...