On August 10, CityNews Vancouver aired a powerful segment on the descendants of the Whonnock People, a First Nations community in Maple Ridge long presumed extinct after the last member living on the reserve passed away decades ago.
Reporter Cecilia Hua’s piece, “Homecoming: How an Indigenous Matriarch is Struggling to Live on Her Traditional Land,” follows the community’s descendants as they now come together to raise funds so their oldest living matriarch can have a dignified home on the land her people have always called their own.
Our associate counsel in Aboriginal law, Anita Boscariol, joined the segment to speak to the legal dimensions of the story, drawing on her experience advising First Nations and individuals on Aboriginal rights and title matters in British Columbia. Stories like this one highlight the very real, ongoing challenges Indigenous families and communities face in reconnecting with and living on their traditional territory, challenges that sit at the intersection of history, identity, and law.
We’re proud of Anita’s continued voice in the media
on these important issues, and grateful to CityNews and Cecilia Hua
for bringing this story to light.
Watch the full segment here.