In order to analyze a local place I looked no further than the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, where the University Endowment Lands (UEL) sits. On my route to campus I noticed a large plot of Pacific Spirit Park being cleared out for what seemed to be the start of construction development. This turned out to be UBC’s Block F Project, which is zone MF-1 of the endowment lands, and was proposed by the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Indian Band to provide a variety of commercial, community, residential and other land uses (PlaceSpeak). The land uses sound like they intend to pave way for economic and community opportunity for-and-by the Musqueam Indian Band. This development seems promising because it offers economic gain and a communal opportunity space for Musqueam people, but current plans bypass Two Spirit involvement.
Upon reading the information provided to the public thus far about Block F I found they had a timeline of the planning process, which began in December of 2012 and over the course of four years hosted three community consultation events with two more coming up (PlaceSpeak 2017). Among the frequently asked questions section on the public overview of the plans, the Musqueam’s goal was said to be to develop the land to provide income and revenue for the Band, in order to “become economically sustainable” (PlaceSpeak 2017). The decision to use this land was made by the Musqueam Band thus they acknowledge their participation in the capitalist system within they have been forced to assimilate. This can be seen as a form of reclaiming their land for economic and communal compensations for the Band, that were once unavailable due to colonial intervention on the unceded territories. This is an example of indigenous economic sovereignty, which is when First Nations people possess an inherent right to self-determination of political, legal, economic, social, and cultural systems (Chiefs of Ontario 2017).
Among the public UEL Block F Design Guidelines there is a comprehensive outline of the way in which the Musqueam nation will blend the traditional and the modern in the design construction. It is important to note the positive ways Block F is being designed in order to respect the unceded territory it is on. They will include 3.1 acres of park space and trails in order to preserve green space, trails, and wetlands. Despite this still being a constructed form of ‘nature,’ it offers preservation of Pacific Spirit Park, which is important to the Musqueam Band, thus upholding First Nations sovereignty (Musqueam Capital Corp. 2017). The commitment made to include green space and communal amenities offers a great opportunity to provide for-and-by indigenous spaces, but seems to lack a focus of whom the communal spaces are targeting. The Goals and Objectives section of the Guidelines says it will, “Provide Neighborhood amenities geared for UEL residents” but this doesn’t specify who makes up UEL residents or how accessible it will be to Indigenous Two- Spirit folks (PlaceSpeak Documents 2017). Two Spirit indigenous students and residents of the UEL should have a community gathering space within this site if it intends to provide amenities for the Musqueam Band as well as the broader UEL community. The intergenerational trauma colonization caused resulted in experiences of homophobia and transphobia in indigenous communities, which often forced Two-Spirit folks to leave their communities (PHSA Trans Health 2017).
The Musqueam Band’s sovereign decision to produce Block F asserts economic self-determination, but lacks plans that offer self-determination to Two Spirit indigenous residents on UEL. If the land is going to be utilized for First Nations residents and communities it should also offer Two Spirit community involvement and representation. There is much to come for this developing block, so there is hope that through further community discussion and development more distinct amenity spaces will be defined and discussed. It is important that planning for sites such as these incorporate trans, two spirit and gender non- conforming First Nations people in order to account for many folks in the indigenous community who suffer discrimination due to the intervention of colonial gender binaries.
Works Cited
Bonar, Thane. “Musqueam & UBC.” Aboriginal Portal, aboriginal.ubc.ca/community-youth/musqueam-and-ubc/.
“Block F Upcoming Activity.” University Neighbourhoods Association, 13 June 2017, www.myuna.ca/2017/06/08/block-f-upcoming-activity/.
Chiefs of Ontario. “Understanding First Nation Sovereignty.” COO Website, 2017, www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/faq.
“Musqueam Capital Corporation.” Musqueam Capital Corporation | Musqueam, www.musqueam.bc.ca/musqueam-capital-corporation.
PlaceSpeak. “UEL Block F Project Status.” PlaceSpeak, www.placespeak.com/en/topic/508-uel-block-f-project-status/.
PHSA, Trans Health. “Two-Spirit.” Transgender Health Information Program, 2017, transhealth.phsa.ca/trans-101/two-spirit.
“‘Where There Is a Word, There’s a History’: Two-Spirited Community Organizer Harlan Pruden Comes to UBC.” The Talon, 14 Jan. 2015, thetalon.ca/where-there-is-a-word-theres-a-history-two-spirited-community-organizer-harlan-pruden-comes-to-ubc/.