Land Back: A Case Study of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation and One County’s Attempt at Reconciliation

This single instrumental case study highlights the Saugeen Ojibway Nation land claims case as a way to analyze actions of reconciliation. A detailed review of the historical context of the traditional territory and the development of the Canadian nation-state is described. Multiple sources of data were collected including a legal case, municipal county minutes and articles published in the local press. This research was grounded in the theoretical frameworks of anti-colonialism and anti-capitalism, which allowed for an analysis of the data that lead to multiple propositions. Key findings included the need for land back settlements to be combined with self-determination and compensation. Second, the burden of proof for Aboriginal title needs to be shifted to the colonial occupiers. Lastly, within Indigenous land settlement cases that are touted as acts of reconciliation, more needs to be done to affirm Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing.