The Politics of Land: Pre-Colonial and Post-Colonial Perspectives on the Situation of First Nations in Canada
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Speaker: Professor John Berkman, Visiting Fellow at the Laudato Si' Research Institute
About: Land claims are among the most significant issues facing indigenous peoples around the world today. Control of land is key not merely to sustainable existence in economic terms, but to the possibility of the survival of spiritual cultures, traditions, and knowledges.
In Canada, recognition of the land claims of First Nations peoples is a controversial political issue. Little progress has been made towards a comprehensive settlement. Professor Berkman will examine this issue with reference to the historical, theological, and political perspectives of First Nations peoples. He will examine how this contemporary debate might be replicating and repeating the colonial mindset it seeks to move beyond. And he will draw lessons for contemporary land contestations around the world today.
