CBC B.C. releases new podcast that uncovers land theft from Indigenous communities in Canada

Land Back is hosted by Gitxsan investigative CBC journalist, Angela Sterritt

Vancouver, B.C., November 15, 2022 - Today marks the release of the CBC British Columbia original podcast, Land Back. The six-part podcast explores Indigenous land rights in Canada and the true meaning of “land back” for Indigenous communities. Hosted by Gitxsan award-winning journalist Angela Sterritt, Land Back can be found on CBC Listen, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

“As a journalist and member of an Indigenous community, it is important to me to share our stories, to ask the hard questions, and untangle the complex and sensitive threads that run through the narratives of land ownership,'' says Angela Sterritt, host of Land Back. “Parts of this podcast are eye-opening and troubling for me, while others are healing and empowering. I am excited for everyone to hear it."

“Angela has an extensive track record of delivering important stories to British Columbians, such as her exclusive story about an Indigenous man and his granddaughter who were wrongfully handcuffed while trying to open an account at a Bank of Montreal branch in Vancouver,” says Shiral Tobin, Director, Journalism and Programming CBC, British Columbia. “She is committed to telling Indigenous stories and we are thrilled to support her on the quest to dig deep into Indigenous land rights and its impacts on communities across the province.”

Episode one of Land Back is available today at CBC Listen, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. 

EPISODE BREAKDOWN 

Episode 1: The Eviction (Available Now)

Is evicting settlers what we mean when Indigenous people say “land back”? Gitxsan podcast host Angela Sterritt meets the leaders who fought Canada in the historic Delgamuukw case regarding Aboriginal title, and learns why that battle continues today. 

Episode 2: War Zone (Available November 23)

A day in the life of Sleydo’ – a devoted mom who faces down police raids on the frontlines of the conflict between the Coastal Gaslink pipeline and Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. 

Episode 3: The Dream (Available November 28)

Angela visits the Unist'ot'en resistance camp in Wet’suwet’en territory and meets three generations of women committed to this vision. Along the way, she is forced to face the complexities of reclaiming land in the midst of colonization. 

Episode 4: The Bridge (Available November 28)

Near the ruins of a residential school, three Sto:lo nations reclaim 60 hectares of Crown land in the Fraser Valley. Angela meets with a survivor and hears about the connection between residential schools and land theft. 

Episode 5: A Village Burned (Available December 5)

In 1913, the Squamish village of Sen̓áḵw is burned and residents are barged away to make room for the developing city of Vancouver. Now, a slice of that land is reclaimed. Angela investigates what “land back” means in the heart of Squamish, and why it’s making some white people upset. 

Episode 6: The Crown (Available December 5)

In the final episode, Angela puts questions from Indigenous land defenders to Canada's Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller, and asks why governments talk about reconciliation but still fight First Nations in court.

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