Canada first nations challenge government over stolen land (Vancouver Olympics) 2010

On 2 July 2003, the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge made the announcement that Vancouver, British Columbia had been selected to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The Vancouver government appointed the Vancouver Olympic Committee to organize and plan the Winter Games. The Vancouver Olympic Committee, the British Columbian government, and the Canadian government began planning to build the venues for the games. After choosing the venue locations, the International Olympic Committee realized that the land belonged to indigenous people, and was in fact un-ceded land. Un-ceded indigenous land can be classified as land that is not under the protection of a signed treaty, but requires the permission of the First Nations government before being developed. This decision was not released to the public, and construction started without the permission of the First Nations government. This outraged First Nations groups in British Columbia, Canada, prompting them to start the campaign known as “No Olympics on Stolen Native Land”. 

The Vancouver Olympic Committee attempted to incorporate First Nations traditions into the Vancouver Olympic Games. For example they chose the Inukshuk, an Inuit symbol that signifies that a person is on the right path, as the logo for the Vancouver Games. The Vancouver Olympic Committee further planned for the Olympic Torch relay to cross through at least one First Nations reserve in every province and territory in Canada. The International Olympic Committee decided that the opening ceremony would include First Nation traditions, such as ceremonial dances, rituals, and the sharing of gifts. Many First Nations people viewed these decisions as appropriative of Indigenous culture, especially given the illegal land seizure making the event possible. 

In November 2007, members from the Secwepemc First Nation called for a boycott of Sun Peaks Resort. Specifically, they opposed the plan to add 20,000 rooms and make upgrades to ski lifts on unauthorized Aboriginal land. The Vancouver government gave the local police the authority to arrest protesters and destroy any camps that were set up in the construction zone. However, no arrests were reported. 

In October 2008, an activist organization called AW@L based out of Waterloo joined the “No Olympics on Stolen Native Land” campaign and began demonstrating through nonviolent actions in Ontario, Canada. The organization blockaded the Olympic Spirit Train and organized a banner drop alongside members from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. They also held marches against the Olympic Torch Relay passing through the Mohawk territory in Ontario.
On 12 February 2010, First Nations protesters in East Vancouver blocked the Olympic Torch relay during the final leg to the stadium, forcing the organizers to find an alternative route. Media attributed the detour to “hooligans” rather than protesters. 

28 February 2010 marked the conclusion of the Vancouver Olympic Games and therefore the end of the “No Olympics on Stolen Native Land” campaign. Although the campaign did not achieve its end goal which was to stop the Olympic Games being held on stolen Native land, it inspired the indigenous communities in British Columbia to continue their fight for equal rights and indigenous land treaties in British Columbia.