The Caledonia Land Dispute

Abstract

Beginning with colonial invasion and emerging out of hundreds of years of negotiations and treaties, the Caledonia land dispute was one of the largest and most publicized Native land claims disputes in Canada. In this brief paper, I analyze the history behind the land around which the dispute was centered and give an overview of the Treaty of Nanfan and the Haldimand Deed. I then provide a succinct overview of how the present-day dispute emerged before offering some suggestions as to how the dispute could be resolved, ultimately arguing for a new set of legal documents, drafted by First Nations members, residents of Caledonia and government officials, which would supersede the existing legal documents concerning the area and establish a new framework for rights in the region.