After generations of displacement, ‘Vancouver Island’ lands returned to Lyackson, Cowichan First Nations

Surrounded by sun-dappled trees and the gentle rushing sound of Skutz Falls, a historic agreement to return 312 hectares of land to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes was signed last week as part of an Incremental Treaty Agreement.

The land parcel is a culturally significant piece in the Cowichan River Valley that the provincial government purchased from Mosaic Forest Management for $8.55 million. 

“These unceded lands, which feature prominently in our oral history, and hold great meaning for our families, are being returned to Quw’utsun,” said Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels (Sulsulxumaat).

Pre-colonization, the Leey’qsun Mustimuhw (people of Lyackson First Nation) had a winter village at the mouth of the Quw’utsun Sta’lo’ (Cowichan River), but until now, the only lands the nation had as reserves were at T’a’at’ka7 , Th’a’xel and Th’xwe’ksen — three areas that comprise about one third of what’s been briefly known as Valdes Island.

Members of the Lyackson First Nation have been advocating for a land base on “Vancouver Island” for generations, as Valdes lacks basic infrastructure like electricity, running water and a ferry service. At present, approximately 200 community members are based in and around “Chemainus,” according to Lyackson’s website.

Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes have agreed to hold the lands in partnership through an inter-community memorandum of understanding until the lands are divided into equal and separate pieces.

This May 11 agreement is the culmination of decades of work from many leaders and community members over decades, and “we stand on the shoulders of giants,” said Lyackson Chief Pahalicktun (Richard Thomas), who spoke at the event.

“Today is a historic day. Our community has been displaced for four generations, and this NDP provincial government has made finding a solution to our issue a priority, and we thank you. Please teach Canada how to be this way as well,” he said to Premier David Eby with a chuckle. Eby was present at the event, as well as Murray Rankin, minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

Indigenous leaders, elected officials and community members gathered together on the grass under white tents, at times wiping away tears. Gifts of woven blankets, carved paddles, and artwork were exchanged in between songs and dances from the local Tzinquaw dancers.

“One of our main issues over the years was that we [needed] a place where we could establish our houses, our health centres, our band office, our gathering place and most importantly, our own cemetery,” said Chief Pahalicktun. 

“Today is a good day. There were years where I’d go home every day, wondering when this was going to be a reality.”

Not having land on Vancouver Island meant Lyackson couldn’t qualify for funding from what was then the Department of Indian Affairs, said Ernie Elliott (Hun’cow’iyus) who worked there as a young civil servant in the 1970s. Though Elliott worked with the late Hereditary Chief Gordon Thomas of Lyackson to try and secure capital funding to build a wharf on Valdes Island, it ultimately wasn’t approved, he says.

“My grandfather dealt with what we called ‘the land question.’ My dad and my uncles as they grew older and came home from residential school, they got involved in the land question. I’ve been involved with this treaty-making process since 1990, 1995, and to get to where we are today we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our forefathers,” said Elliott.

“In the future, if I’m asked if I remember when Lyackson and Cowichan got land back from the provincial government in 2024, I can proudly say yeah, I was there.”

Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes are currently in stage 5 treaty negotiations with the provincial and federal governments and are part of the Hul’q’umi’num Treaty Group.

Both communities plan to add the land to their respective reserves through the federal addition to reserve process after the land transfer takes place.

Prior to colonization, Lyackson and other Hul’q’umi’num-speaking communities were historically part of the larger Cowichan Nation, but the communities were broken up by colonial governments through the Indian Act and creation of reserves.

Cowichan relatives lived at Skutz for millenia without scarcity, and the watershed was a place of abundance where innovative fishing weirs would line the riverbanks, said Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels (Sulsulxumaat).

“With colonization, boundaries were created across this region. Our people were displaced and our culture, language and traditional stewardship practices were banned. Our community has been severely challenged by a lack of available land for development,” she said. “With this interim treaty agreement, we are coming home.”

Much of the existing reserve lands are located in flood-prone areas or are inappropriate to build on because of environmental or cultural issues, she added, and the nation is experiencing an urgent housing shortage that means there are more than 2,200 people on a housing waitlist.

“I get a bit emotional to see this day as well. I feel what you feel. And though it means so much to Lyackson, it means that much to Quw’utsun Mustimuhw as well,” said Bubba Qwulshemut (Xwun xwi nuk) whose late mother was one of the last people to live on Valdes once most of the community began to move away in the 1940s. 

“We’re over 5,000 strong in Quw’utsun. We need this and much, much more. We have this to work with right now, there’s a lot of work yet to be done but let’s celebrate what we have on this day. I’m thankful for you not to be discouraged in carrying on what others have started.”

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Editor’s note: This is a corrected story. A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Ernie Elliott. We apologize for the error.