Unceded: Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now - Softcover

Abbott, George M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0774881151 ISBN 13: 9780774881159

Publisher: University of British Columbia Press, 2025

Synopsis

Unceded is a compelling history of the BC government's relationship with Indigenous peoples, from early "land question" disputes to current reconciliation efforts.

Treaty commissioner George M. Abbott combines archival research with a former cabinet minister's insider perspective on government to chronicle over 150 years of BC-Indigenous relations. He details how early government officials refused to negotiate treaties, instead coercing First Nations onto small reserves. Despite sustained Indigenous resistance, the situation only worsened in the decades that followed--until several Supreme Court decisions compelled the province to sit down at the negotiating table.

More recently, the province has taken steps toward reconciliation, including passing legislation recognizing Indigenous rights. As Abbott shows, overcoming the legacy of colonialism is no small task, but achieving justice is worth the effort.

Unceded will help all British Columbians understand historical wrongs and the obstacles to righting them.

About this title

About the Author

George M. Abbott is a BC treaty commissioner, appointed in 2025 to help guide treaty negotiations between First Nations, the province, and Canada. A former BC Liberal MLA and cabinet minister, he served in several prominent roles while in government, including as minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation. He is an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Victoria, director and chair of Technical Safety BC, and the author of Big Promises, Small Government: Doing Less with Less in the BC Liberal New Era. He also served for seventeen years in local government as the director and chair of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and as a councillor in the District of Sicamous. He lives in Victoria, BC.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of British Columbia Press
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0774881151
• ISBN 13: 9780774881159
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 242