Marking 180 Years: The Oregon Treaty, DRIPA, and the future of Indigenous-settler relations

Marking 180 Years: The Oregon Treaty, DRIPA, and the future of Indigenous-settler relations

One hundred eighty years ago, on June 15, 1846, representatives of the U.K. and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Oregon. What is this treaty, and why is it important? The B.C. and Canadian governments assert that their right to govern, to assert sovereignty over the lands now called “British Columbia,” began in 1846 with the signing of the Treaty between Her Majesty and the United States of America for the Settlement of the Oregon Boundary. The tre…