Acknowledging the unceded territories

Terms to better understand

• |

• 

  Unceded

  Unceded means that the land was never legally ceded, or given up to the Crown, through a treaty or other agreement.

  The xʷməθしーたkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples are the original inhabitants of the unceded land which is now known as the city of Vancouver.

• 

  Traditional territory

  A term used to describe the land that was (and often still is) occupied and stewarded by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. Some refer to traditional territory as homelands. 

• 

  Time immemorial

  This means ‘beyond living memory’ or ‘as long as can be remembered’.

  It is a term that conveys the common ways that Indigenous Peoples tell their origin stories and express their history in their lands—as always being there.

• 

  Reserves

  Small fractions of traditional territories, held in trust by the Crown, which were created by the Indian Act External website, opens in new tab.

  Some Nations have multiple reserves and, under the Indian Act, reserves that serve as residences are referred to as Indian Bands, however, many reserves or bands are now referred to as First Nations.

• 

  Indigenous

  Indigenous Peoples is the broadest term of identity encompassing First Nations, Status and non-Status identity, Inuit, and Metis peoples in Canada.

  It refers not only to people in Canada, but all over the world who are the original inhabitants of a particular region and who share ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy, or from which they have been displaced.

• 

  First Nation

  Refers to a community, a band, or nation. First Peoples is also an acceptable term for First Nations people.

  Band or nation may also be used, depending on community preference. 

• 

  Settler

  Being a settler means that you are non-Indigenous and that you or your ancestors came and settled in a land that had been inhabited by Indigenous people.

  This primarily refers to people of European descent; non-white settlers can be referred to as “settlers of colour”.