New legislation promises to make it easier for First Nations to buy, hold and sell land under their own names as recognized legal entities.
Currently, most First Nations have to either set up corporations or make other arrangements such as using proxies, federal trusts, societies and individual members to purchase, own or transfer land. Such steps would no longer be necessary under new legislation introduced Tuesday (April 2) by Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Murray Rankin.
害羞草研究所淲ith these new provisions, First Nations will have the ability to purchase and hold fee simple land directly, just as individuals and corporations have long been able to do,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e are taking action to remove this long-standing and discriminatory barrier.害羞草研究所�
Rankin said the changes come exactly 150 years after the enactment of the B.C. Property Act.
害羞草研究所淚t explicitly restricted First Nations individuals from the ability to acquire land,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淓nglish common law requires a legal entity to have express legislative authority to hold land. Since then害羞草研究所ost First Nations government could not hold land in the name of their First Nation.害羞草研究所�
Rankin said this legislation will make what he called 害羞草研究所渟mall but important害羞草研究所� changes to reflect government害羞草研究所檚 commitment toward reconciliation and to eliminate discriminatory barriers to land ownership.
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害羞草研究所淥ur provincial policies and laws are often based on past colonial ideas and practices, which were inherently racist and harmful,害羞草研究所� he said.
Rankin said these changes should have happened a long time to ago.
Government stresses that these changes neither affect additional governance powers of First Nations nor their relationships with local government covered in modern treaties.
