In 1958, the federal government leased more than a third of the small Musqueam Reserve to an exclusive golf club at far below its market value. The terms of the deal were not told to the band. When they discovered this in 1970, they initiated a court case, Guerin v. The Queen, that lasted 14 years and went to the Supreme Court of Canada. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court awarded the Musqueam $10 million and for the first time stated that the federal government has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of First Nations, as well as establishing Aboriginal title (that land rights persist after assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism). From Wardship to Rights: The Guerin Case and Aboriginal Law (UBC $27.95) by Jim Reynolds tells the story of the Musqueam Band's quest for justice. Reynolds is an Aboriginal rights lawyer who served as one of the legal counsel for the Musqueam. This seismic decision still resonates today, not only in Canada but in other Commonwealth countries. 978-0-7748-6457-2

[BCBW 2020]