A commentary by the chief of Nak’azdli Whut’en, based in Fort St. James.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie has added to the chorus of misleading and divisive statements on the Cowichan land title decision.

He sent an alarmist letter to property owners inside the area claimed by the Cowichan Aboriginal title, stating that their property rights could be impacted, and that the decision could impact property rights across the country.

Conservative leader John Rustad is using Brodie’s letter to justify an immediate halt to negotiations between First Nations and the Province.

Rustad has been misrepresenting the decision — and what it means for property ownership — for some time. Speaking at the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention last month, Rustad claimed that “Indigenous and private property rights cannot coexist.”

Then he brought the same ridiculous statements into the Legislature, where he has been pushing for the Supreme Court of Canada to step........

© Times Colonist