Tomorrow, the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en First Nations will come together to honour the 25th anniversary of the Delgamuukw-Gisday’wa decision.
That landmark decision affirmed the Nations’ title rights and jurisdiction over nearly 60,000 kms of their traditional territories.
It was also the first definition of Aboriginal title rights in the history of Canada’s courts, and determined that BC could not extinguish them.
In addition, the decision defined how Indigenous oral history and accounts would be used in legal testimony moving forward.
Now, the Nations are holding a pair of gatherings over two days to celebrate the decision, and honour the surviving and lost plaintiffs of the 1997 trial.
Gatherings will be held at the Witset Multiplex tomorrow, and the Gitanmaax Community Hall on Saturday, with both running from 9:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon.
