Craig Candler, founder of Reciprocity Trusts speaks to Check News about reciprocity, and how Indigenous Nations can receive funding through a Voluntary Reciprocity Payment from private property owners.
If you haven’t heard the news, Victoria City Council is currently considering a proposal to make an important step towards real recognition of the Indigenous lands our City calls home. Through a new Reconciliation Grant, the City would allocate 10% of new assessed revenue to the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, whose lands and waters make our City what it is.
We’ve been hard at work getting residents of Victoria to write letters to the Times Colonist and Victoria’s Mayor and Council expressing support. As part of this, we were lucky enough to sit down with Nikki Laes (if you don’t know Nikki, check her out here: https://www.instagram.com/nikkilaes/?hl=en) for a live interview explaining the City’s proposal and how it connects to Reciprocity.
Take a peak at our first newsletter that went out to Reciprocity homeowners, renters, and businesses who pledged to join Reciprocity! https://mailchi.mp/reciprocityconnects/nationaldayoftruthandreconciliation-5598794
🧐 Did you know the South Island is unique in BC because it is almost entirely private property? There is very little crown land because it was given away as part of early coal and railway development.
Land values on the South Island have more than doubled over the last 25 years. South Island landowners benefit from the privatization that started with colonial land grants made to the railways to support development on Indigenous lands.
Privatization of Indigenous lands and the creation of residential schools are part of the same colonial system. That system was paid for by our tax dollars and implemented by the governments we elected.
What can we do to decolonize our backyards? To take a quietly revolutionary step, visit reciprocitytrusts.ca (link in bio)
#decolonizeyourbackyard #reciprocitytrusts #settlerstakeaction
Take a peek at how Reciprocity has been engaging online over the past few months
We’re very excited that Our Native Land hosted a conversation with Naomi Devine and Sarah Reid. Thanks to Tchadas Leo for providing the space and time to talk about Reciprocity. Give it a listen!
APTN featured us on their news at 5pm. Listen to Sarah Reid talk all about Reciprocity!
“Reciprocity Trusts is a not-for profit in British Columbia that encourages people to pay “rent” for the land that they occupy. We spoke with Reciprocity Trusts program director Sarah Reid to discuss the idea behind this new initiative.”
Thank you Happy Mag for sharing our initiative! Take a look:
https://happymag.tv/new-program-canadians-pay-rent-indigenous-people/
