Canada First Nations well placed for a big citizen dividend

"The Supreme Court of Canada this week ruled in favour of the Tsilhqot’in and declared the
group holds aboriginal title to about 2,000 square kilometres of interior B.C."

“The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected this idea that aboriginal title just applies to specific sites, or rocks or buffalo jumps or fishing holes – it is territorial,” David Rosenberg, one of the lawyers involved in the case, said in Vancouver on Thursday.

“It goes from mountaintop to mountaintop in some places. It covers valleys and vast tracts of land. That is now what aboriginal title is.”

(Theglobeandmail, June 27, 2014)

The First Nations now has clear ownership of vast tracts of land in Canada. 

Regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations Jody Wilson-Raybould

“I see this decision as providing required clarity and the rules of the game,” said Jody Wilson-Raybould, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations. “I think it’s an opportunity. First Nations want to be a part of resource development where resource development will benefit them and won’t infringe on their lands.” (Straight.com, July 2, 2014)

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in the USA gives out very substantial citizen dividends of about US$6,000 each annually. If the Canada First Nations follow this example and distribute citizen dividends, the First Nations peoples are going to get big citizen dividends. They own very valuable natural  resources.