Unceded and Unsettled: The Empty Promises of the Douglas Treaties

What does it mean when land is called "unceded"? And what happens when treaties weren't real agreements at all?

In this episode, we travel to Vancouver Island in the 1850s to examine the Douglas Treaties—short, one-sided agreements signed between the Crown and several Indigenous nations. Host Chris Bolster explores how these so-called treaties created the illusion of consent while paving the way for Crown land claims, resource extraction, and settler occupation.

We also unpack the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the legal foundation of Indigenous title in Canadian law, and what the word "unceded" truly means—not as a metaphor, but as a legal and political reality that challenges Crown sovereignty to this day.

This episode lays the groundwork for understanding Land Back not as a radical demand, but as a legal consequence of Canada's own unresolved obligations.

Further Reading & Resources

• Reynolds, Jim. Aboringinal Peoples and the Law (UBC Press, 2018)

• Indigenous Foundations: The Royal Proclamation, 1763

• BC Treaty Commission: www.bctreaty.ca

• Tuck, Eve & Yang, K. Wayne. Decolonization is not a metaphor (2012)

• Talaga, Tanya. All Our Relations (2018) CBC Massey Lecture

⚠️ Content Advisory

This episode discusses colonial land theft, legal deception, and the historical dispossession of Indigenous peoples. Listener discretion is advised.