Making Native Space: Colonialism, Resistance, and Reserves in British Columbia

David Mardiros is a lawyer and anthropological consultant in Terrace,
British Columbia.

Most Canadians who have any interest in Aboriginal issues are aware of
the anomalous situation of British Columbia—the only province with a
majority of its territory still the subject of unresolved Aboriginal
claims. Many Canadians are also aware of some of the important decisions
of the Supreme Court of Canada in recent years relating to Aboriginal
claims to land and resources in British Columbia—Sparrow, Van der
Peet, and Delgamuuk’w, to name but a few. Few of us, however, are
aware of much of the history that led to the current uncertainty of land
tenure. Making Native Space provides a detailed history of colonial, and
later Canadian, policy in 19th-century British Columbia that exposes the
roots of today’s problems in a fascinating and sometimes disturbing
way.

Cole Harris’s account is most engrossing when he is able to bring to
life many of the personalities who made (or failed to make) decisions
during this formative period of B.C. history. He demonstrates that many
of the difficulties we are now faced with came about primarily as the
consequence of the actions of a variety of actors, Aboriginal people
among them, who consistently struggled with opposing interests and
different views of the world. The book is disturbing in that the author
thoroughly documents the fact that successive and, sometimes,
well-meaning attempts at settling “the Indian Land Question”
foundered as the result of a lack of political will, government cost
cutting, and the often blatant interference by senior bureaucrats and
politicians after officials on the ground had established the basis of
an accommodation between the indigenous and settler populations. For
those familiar with the recent attempts of the provincial government to
undercut the work of the British Columbia Treaty Commission by holding a
treaty referendum, this book clearly demonstrates that there is little
new under the sun.

The last chapter of the book will be of interest to those who wonder
where we go from here in the settlement of Aboriginal claims. Harris,
while acknowledging that it is not currently on the political agenda,
puts the case for the recognition of Aboriginal title well.