Latest news with #MusqueamIndianBand
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thomas Muller gets a hero's welcome as Vancouver Whitecaps go wild for Bayern Munich legend after he arrives in Canada
Bayern icon greeted by roaring crowd Vancouver fans turn out in number Muller key to Whitecaps' journey Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 WHAT HAPPENED? The Bayern legend touched down at Vancouver International Airport to join the Whitecaps this week. The 35-year-old World Cup winner was met by Indigenous leaders from the Musqueam Indian Band, who honoured him with a traditional drum march and speech from Chief Wayne Sparrow. Fans lined the arrivals hall waving flags, wearing Germany, Bayern and Vancouver shirts, with Muller stopping to sign autographs and pose for photos. The veteran forward has signed with Vancouver for the rest of the 2025 season, with a Designated Player option for 2026, and is expected to make his MLS debut at home against Houston Dynamo on Sunday. WATCH THE CLIP THE BIGGER PICTURE Muller's arrival marks one of the most high-profile signings in Whitecaps' history, placing him alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney in MLS's growing list of superstar imports. His departure from Bayern this summer closed a 17-year chapter in which he scored 250 goals in all competitions, won 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League crowns. He also lifted the World Cup with Germany in 2014. TELL ME MORE Muller was a Bavarian through and through, having joined the club's youth system as a teenager before breaking into the first team in 2008. Known for his intelligence, off-the-ball movement, and unorthodox style, he became one of football's most decorated players, amassing 33 trophies and cementing himself as a club legend. His World Cup resume is equally impressive, Golden Boot winner in 2010 with five goals and three assists, followed by another five goals in Germany's 2014 triumph in Brazil. Now, he enters MLS at a time when Vancouver are pushing to make an impact both in the league and in domestic cup competitions. The Whitecaps' Canadian Championship semi-final against Forge FC remains finely balanced ahead of the second leg, while their MLS campaign sees them chasing a playoff spot. Muller's signing is not only a footballing boost but also a commercial coup, with the club already capitalising on merchandise sales and global media attention. WHAT NEXT FOR MULLER AND VANCOUVER? Muller is set to be unveiled to the media before taking part in his first training session with the squad on Friday. The Whitecaps will look to integrate him quickly ahead of Sunday's MLS fixture against Houston. While his initial deal runs to the end of 2025, the Designated Player option for 2026 offers the possibility of a longer North American chapter.
National Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Reconciliation on hold as BC blocks Cowichan land win
A BC government appeal of a court ruling recognizing aboriginal title to part of the Cowichan Nation's ancestral land in Richmond will delay reconciliation and prolong generations of harm, the nation's lead lawyer said. 'This land was where the nation lived together, where they harvested together, where they were defended together and where they were literally embedded in the earth,' said David Robbins. Last week, Justice Barbara Young granted the Cowichan title to almost 7.5 square kilometres of their ancestral Tl'uqtinus village lands on the south shore of Lulu Island in Richmond, BC across from Tilbury Island. The largely industrial area, long described by the Nation as their traditional settlement area, includes land owned by the federal government, the City of Richmond, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and private holdings. The ruling affirms their constitutionally protected title and right to fish for food in the south arm of the Fraser River — after more than 150 years of struggle since the land was taken from the Cowichan during the colonial era. However, within days of the decision, BC Attorney General Niki Sharma released a statement stating the province would appeal, warning the ruling could have "significant unintended consequences for fee simple private property rights in BC." The Cowichan connection to their homeland historically is well documented, and the court was clear that that connection continues to this day, Robbins added. Delaying acting on the decision will 'further infringe upon Cowichan Aboriginal title and their vision for reconciliation at their lands.' The province prefers to address Indigenous land disputes through negotiated agreements that 'protect both private property rights and reconciliation goals,' rather than through the courts, the statement said. The land titles are currently divided among federal, provincial and municipal governments, and private owners, as well as two other Indigenous groups: the Musqueam Indian Band and the Tsawwassen First Nation, who were also defendants in the case. 'We are not seeking to remove people from their homes. We expect the Prime Minister, the Premier and our Chiefs to meet and discuss how to reconcile the fact this is Cowichan land," said Shana Thomas, hereditary chief of Lyackson First Nation. The court ruling declares legal titles claimed by Canada, the City of Richmond and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in parts of the Tl'uqtinus lands to be defective or invalid, except for a small area used for an airport fuel delivery project. Between 1871 and 1875, the Crown granted ownership rights to the land primarily to government officials and land speculators, Robbins said. The property was later subdivided and sold privately. The Cowichan ruling invalidates title to the public lands only. The nation did not challenge private landowners' rights, he added. The decision compels the Province to negotiate in 'good faith' to reconcile the Nation's Aboriginal title with existing private properties — a step Cowichan leaders say British Columbia has long avoided. Shana Thomas, hereditary chief of Lyackson First Nation, one of the group of Cowichan Tribes that stand to benefit from the court decision, was initially buoyed by the court decision. 'For generations, our people have known this truth, but it often fell on deaf ears. Now, with the court's validation, everyone is compelled to hear and respect this reality. This ruling isn't just about land; it's about our survival, culture, and identity that are inseparable from our territories.' But her euphoria was dashed when she learned the province would appeal. She said the way the province has framed the appeal — linking it to concerns about private property rights — is misleading to the public.' The court decision places the duty to reconcile with the Cowichan Nation on the provincial government, not on individual property owners, she added. 'They've chosen to wave the warning bells of some kind of harm that could come to private property, which is very unfortunate,' Thomas said. 'We are not seeking to remove people from their homes. We expect the Prime Minister, the Premier and our Chiefs to meet and discuss how to reconcile the fact this is Cowichan land.' There will be benefits from putting the case to rest, Thomas said. "This ruling is a step toward reconciliation, not a threat to it. By recognizing Aboriginal titles, we are creating certainty.' Canada's National Observer reached out to Sharma's office for an interview, but her office said she was unavailable to comment before the deadline, citing scheduling conflicts. The Cowichan Tribes, which have the largest population of any First Nation in British Columbia, are the main group named in the case. Together with the Halalt, Lyackson, Penelakut and Stz'uminus First Nations, they make up the Quw'utsun (Cowichan) Nation. The case, launched by Cowichan Tribes, Stz'uminus First Nation, Penelakut Tribe and Halalt First Nation — with support from Lyackson First Nation — was one of Canada's lengthiest Indigenous land claims trials. It relied heavily on oral histories and expert testimony describing the Cowichan's deep-rooted presence at Tl'uqtinus. The village was described as a landmark for navigation and a hub for community life, fishing and defence. With the appeal to be filed, efforts to reconcile Cowichan title with overlapping Crown and private property interests will be paused until the higher courts deliver their decision. Musqueam Indian Band also expressed disappointment and said they view that the Cowichan dispute should have been resolved using traditional Coast Salish protocols instead of the colonial court system. However, Thomas said the Cowichan turned to the courts only after all other avenues failed to recognize their rights and title, noting that upholding their own Snuw'uy'ulth which means teachings of the Nation is always the first priority. 'We need to engage with Canada and British Columbia to finalize what that reconciliation framework looks like, and how we're going to get there,' Thomas said.
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow on the landmark Cowichan Tribes v. Canada ruling
The Musqueam Indian Band Council says they're deeply disappointed in the outcome of a landmark Aboriginal title case that rules the Cowichan First Nation has Aboriginal title to a stretch of land in Richmond, B.C. Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Indian Band says the ruling cuts into their own territory.
Global News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Vancouver's Trutch Street to officially change to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm
Vancouver City Council is set to vote on Tuesday on adopting a new Musqueam name for Trutch Street in Kitsilano. The street is named after Joseph Trutch, B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor whose policies inflicted harm on First Nations people. City councillors asked the Musqueam Indian Band to choose a replacement after voting to rename the street in 2021. The Nation gifted the name šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm, which is Musqueamview in the Musqueam Indian Band's hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. 1:58 Vandals put 'Truth' in Trutch Street ahead of official name change Trutch Street runs between 18th and 1st Avenues on the city's west side in the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam people. Story continues below advertisement Trutch, who arrived in the province in 1859 and became B.C.'s chief commissioner of land and works in the 1860s, was considered an extreme racist. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy According to the Musqueam Indian Band, Trutch was openly hostile to First Nations, denied the existence of Aboriginal rights, and did not recognize previously established Indian Reserves, resulting in reserves shrinking throughout the province. The Musqueamview name will debut on the street on June 20.
CBC
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Vancouver's Trutch Street set to officially be renamed following council vote
Social Sharing A street in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood will soon be officially renamed in what members of the Musqueam Indian Band call a step forward for reconciliation. Trutch Street will be called Musqueamview Street in English and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm in the Musqueam Indian Band's hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. It comes after a unanimous vote by city council in July 2021 to replace the name of the street, located between Blenheim and Balaclava streets on the city's west side. Musqueamview Street runs 16 blocks, with its northern apex near the water at Jericho Beach, and the southern end near Carnarvon Park. Its hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name is pronounced "sh-muck-wi-um-awe-sum." The street — originally named after Joseph Trutch, B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor — was renamed because of Trutch's racist policies against Indigenous people, including drastically reducing the size of reserves and refusing to let Indigenous people purchase land from non-Indigenous people. Vancouver city council will rubberstamp the renaming after a council vote on Tuesday, with city staff making the recommendation to change the name to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm — a name gifted to the city by the Musqueam Indian Band in September 2022. Larry Grant, an elder and the manager of the band's language and culture department, said that the renaming comes as Canada tries to work on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. "It's really, really important that our young ones that are coming up behind [us] to understand our language has some meaning ... and it brings forward community pride," he said. "So that's really my hope for all." Grant and the Musqueam Indian Band worked alongside the city to implement the changes, and the elder said that there would be storyboards along the largely residential street talking about Trutch and why the street was once named after him. "We did not want to completely erase his name ... but also keep history in focus, so that people would understand why the name was changed," he said. Vanessa Campbell, another member of the Musqueam language and culture department, said the band's members were very excited and honoured by the change, especially given there are no fluent speakers of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language left. She acknowledged that hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ orthography may be a new sight for some Vancouverites. "We're going to make sure that there's lots of different types of educational materials so that you can learn in any way that makes you feel most comfortable," she said. Some systems can't display new name In the report to city council on Tuesday, city staff said it had sought input from first responders on the name change, given it has been in the works for years. It found that emergency responders, city systems and even agencies like Canada Post and ICBC had trouble displaying the new name. In those instances, the city says the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name will be used where possible. "Those that cannot will use the name 'Musqueamview [Street]' with a footnote wherever possible stating 'Musqueamview [Street] is a translated name available for use while colonial systems work to accept multilingual characters,'" the report says. The city said the change will impact 100 unique addresses on the street. Vancouver resident Verity Livingstone told CBC News on Monday that she was in favour of the renaming. "I think history marches forward and, therefore, we should all be cognizant of of the fact it's time for change," Livingstone said. "And if we can come up with a name that respects the history of this place, I think we should use it." Streets and institutions around B.C. that were named for Trutch have been renamed in the wake of the reappraisal of his racist and colonizing legacy. In Victoria, what was once Trutch Street is now səʔit Street, pronounced say-eet.
