What We Mean When We Say LandBack

Colonialism is a system by which one group of people takes resources from another. In the case of Settler Colonialism that resource is land. The goal is to literally replace Indigenous people with setters. The difference between a settler and a colonizer is that a settler stays whereas a colonizer leaves after taking what profit they can. Settler Colonialism has systematically stolen our land through violence and broken treaties. From boarding schools and the sixties scoop to the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives today, they have stolen our people. Our spiritual practices were illegal until 1978 and since then they have been appropriated and commodified.

LandBack refers to the movement to return lands to Indigenous People. More than that, however, it seeks to address the historical and ongoing injustices experienced by Indigenous People as a result of Settler Colonialism. This includes the return of Tribal Sovereignty, honoring treaties, and returning land management and environmental stewardship to Native Peoples. Above all, LandBack is a rallying cry for dismantling white supremacy and the harms of capitalism.

Landback is not about ownership, at least not the capitalist concept of ownership. The land is our relative, and as we care for our relatives we also must care for the land. As our relative it holds spiritual, cultural, and historical significance to our communities. Capitalism only looks at the land as a resource to be extracted and it’s clear that this doesn’t work out for us in the long run. We want something better. This movement challenges the existing power structures and legal frameworks that have marginalized Indigenous Peoples and our land rights. It seeks to create awareness and support for Indigenous-led initiatives and to regain control over our ancestral lands. This enables our people to reconnect with our traditions, protect the land, and exercise autonomy.