Territory acknowledgements are supported by most of the province’s residents; fewer think the word “settler” is adequate.
Vancouver, BC [November 24, 2025] – While a sizeable majority of British Columbians are anxious about a recent court decision, most also express positive views about the right of self-determination for Indigenous peoples and find territory acknowledgements adequate, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 44% of British Columbians say they are following news related to the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision “very closely” or “moderately closely”.
The B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the Cowichan Tribes had “established Aboriginal title” to more than 5.7 square kilometres of land in Richmond and stated that Aboriginal title is a “prior and senior right” to other property interests, regardless of whether the land in question is public or private.
More than two thirds of British Columbians (68%) think property owners in British Columbia should be concerned about the consequences of the court’s decision, including 79% of those aged 55 and over and 75% who own their primary residence.
More than half of British Columbians (52%) believe all negotiations related to Aboriginal title agreements in British Columbia should be paused until the Cowichan Tribes case is settled.
Fewer than half of British Columbians agree with two other statements: that fee simple title in private property should always be superior to Aboriginal title (47%) and that the B.C. Supreme Court’s recent decision erases private property ownership (45%).
Just under half of British Columbians (48%)—and 45% of property owners—say they believe the Cowichan Tribes when they say they are not looking to displace any individual from the properties they own.
Most British Columbians (54%) think the City of Richmond took the correct course of action by sending an official letter to property owners in the claimed area, warning them that the decision “may compromise the status and validity” of their ownership. Fewer than three-in-ten British Columbians (27%) think the City of Richmond overreacted to the situation.
Across the province, more than a third of respondents (35%) had heard about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)—a proportion that rises to 62% among those of Indigenous descent.
UNDRIP establishes global standards for the rights of Indigenous peoples. It outlines collective and individual rights, such as self-determination, and the right to maintain distinct cultures, languages and institutions.
The UNDRIP Act, which came into effect in June 2021, requires the Canadian government to ensure all laws are consistent with the Declaration, in consultation with Indigenous peoples, and mandates the creation of an action plan to achieve the Declaration’s objectives.
More than seven-in-ten British Columbians (73%) think the UNDRIP Act is a positive development for Canada, while 14% perceive it negatively and 13% are undecided.
More than two thirds of British Columbians (68%) say territory acknowledgements are adequate in today’s Canada, while 18% consider the practice inadequate.
“At least two thirds of residents of the Fraser Valley (69%), Metro Vancouver (69%) and Southern BC (66%) think territory acknowledgements are adequate,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Majorities in Vancouver Island (61%) and Northern BC (59%) also share this view.”
The practice of non-Indigenous Canadians and Permanent Residents calling themselves “settlers” is seen as adequate by 45% of British Columbians and as inadequate by 30%.
The public is divided on whether people should speak positively about the Residential School system, with 39% believing this is adequate and 43% claiming it is inadequate.
More than three-in-five British Columbians (63%) think the right of self-determination—meaning that Indigenous people can determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, and dispose of and benefit from their wealth and natural resources—has been positive for Canada.
Similar proportions of British Columbians think First Nations and Indigenous organizations across British Columbia should decide what type of housing projects can be built on their territories (66%) and if natural resource projects can be established on their territories (62%).
More than two-in-five British Columbians think that, compared to 20 years ago, First Nations and Indigenous organizations are doing better on cultural development (50%), economic development (49%) and social development (44%).
Economic Reconciliation is defined as “the process of making economic amends for historical injustices to Indigenous Peoples.” British Columbians are divided in their assessment of the current situation, with 23% saying the federal government is doing “too much” on Economic Reconciliation, while 27% believe it “needs to do more”.
Equal proportions of British Columbians think the provincial government is doing “too much” (24%) or “needs to do more” (also 24%) on Economic Reconciliation. Only 18% of respondents think municipal administrations are doing “too much” on this file.
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from November 18 to November 20, 2025, among 801 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca