Lha yudit’ih We Always Find a Way: Bringing the Tŝilhqot’in Title Case Home

by Lorraine Weir, Chief Roger William of Xeni Gwet'in

Eight years in the making, Lha yudit’ih (We Always Find a Way) is a community oral history of Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia , the first case in Canada to result in a declaration of Aboriginal Rights and Title to a specific piece of land. Told from the perspective of the Plaintiff, Chief Roger William, joined by fifty Xeni Gwet’ins, Tŝilhqot’ins, and allies, this book encompasses ancient stories of creation, modern stories of genocide through smallpox and residential school, and stories of resistance including the Tŝilhqot’in War, direct actions against logging and mining, and the twenty-five-year battle in Canadian courts to win recognition of what Tŝilhqot’ins never gave up and have always known. “We are the land,” as Chief Roger says. After the violence of colonialism, he understands the court case as “bringing our sight back.” This book witnesses the power of that vision, its continuity with the Tŝilhqot’in world before the arrival of colonizers two centuries ago, and its potential for a future of freedom and self-determination for the Tŝilhqot’in People.

512 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2023

Reviews

[Starleigh Grass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate the excellent job the authors did in sharing the stories and voices of the Tsilhqot'in Nation.