Canada Recognizes Aboriginal Title on Haida Gwaii: What Are the Implications?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Haida Nation President Gaagwiis Jason Alsop (R) sign documents as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Gary Anandasangaree (L) watches during a community gathering to celebrate a land title agreement, in Skidegate on Haida Gwaii, B.C., on Feb. 17, 2025. The federal government will recognize Aboriginal title over the archipelago of Haida Gwaii off British Columbia’s northern coast in a historic agreement with the Haida First Nation. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

News Analysis

The federal government announced the signing of an agreement over the weekend affirming that the Haida Nation has aboriginal title over the Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia, opening questions regarding property rights and similar future agreements.