Colonial laws in what is now called Canada have historically denied Indigenous sovereignty in favor of the exploitation and assimilation of Indigenous Peoples and the claiming of Indigenous Lands by colonizers. Indigenous Peoples have been dispossessed and had their self-determination limited and languages, knowledges and identities divided. Without access to their lands, Indigenous Peoples face economic oppression, environmental degradation, a dramatic toll on health and gendered harm and death. Land Back features restitution for the land and the political and economic systems of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous conceptualizations of consent, such as restorative, epistemic, reciprocal and legitimate consent are featured in Indigenous-led initiatives that decenter governmental authority, promote Indigenous Reclamation and support Land Back.
King, Hayden and Pasternak, Shiri. “Land Back, A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper,” Yellowhead Institute (2019): 6-65. https:/ /redpaper .yellowheadinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/red- paper- report-final.pdf.