As a Saltwater People our relationships with the ocean and the beings who call it home are vital to WSÁNEĆ peoples and laws. Regarding the dispossession of land we might demand #LandBack or make the enduring claim against the state that our lands have been stolen. But how do we make sense of an equally pervasive dispossession of saltwater territory and our ability and authority to relate to those waters in accordance with our own Indigenous legal orders? In this paper I will look at the role jurisdiction has in dispossession, particularly in relation to the ocean waters around WSÁNEĆ, and then, in more depth, I will examine what tools might be available in the beginning to reverse this trend of jurisdictional dispossession, including where they may fall short.
The presenter will deliver this lecture in person and via video. Attendees may view the presentation with others in Allard Hall or they may participate via Zoom. Please contact Michelle Burchill at burchill@allard.ubc.ca for the Zoom link. For those attending at Allard Hall, a light lunch will be available from 12:30- 12:45.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert YELḰÁTŦE Clifford, BA, JD, LLM, PhD Assistant Professor, Allard School of Law
Robert YELḰÁTŦE Clifford is WSÁNEĆ and a member of the Tsawout First Nation. His work engages the resurgence of WSÁNEĆ laws within the contexts of colonialism and climate change.
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