In 1997, after years of litigation, the supreme court of Canada ruled on what is known as the landmark Deglamuukw-Gisday\u2019wa case. It was the first case in Canadian history to recognize Indigenous rights and the first to accept oral histories as evidence provided by elders and hereditary leaders of the Gitxsan and Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en Nations.<\/p>\n
The ruling paved the way for other Indigenous rights claims in Canada, and has helped inform Indigenous nations around the globe as to how to assert their rights and protect their ancient cultures from being extinguished by colonial and imposed governments.<\/p>\n
Over the past 25 years since the ruling was made, other land claims cases have come before the supreme court and some, like the Tsilhqot\u2019in of the interior, have been successful in their arguments and secured rights and title to their traditional territories.<\/p>\n
However, over the weekend marking the 25th<\/sup> anniversary of the Deglamuukw-Gisday\u2019wa cases, members of the Gitxsan and Wet\u2019suwet\u2019en Nations, and many of the clan runners and researches that helped build the case say it\u2019s a bitter-sweet anniversary.<\/p>\n \"In 25 years absolutely nothing has happened,\" George Muldoe said. \"We're still fighting for our rights. All over the world people have benefited from our case except for us.\"<\/p>\n