Victoria enterprise launches online reciprocity trust for First Nations

A Victoria-based social enterprise is asking British Columbians to go beyond land acknowledgments by making a financial pledge to First Nations.

Its members hope a recently-launched online platform, Reciprocity Trusts, will encourage people in B.C. to start saying thank you for over 150 years of living rent-free on Indigenous land.

Naomi Divine with Reciprocity Trusts says they’re asking us to take concrete action on reconciliation by pledging payments to First Nations.

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“It’s a path forward and a way to meaningfully demonstrate gratitude with a step we can all take on our respective decolonization journeys in a way where you can do more than just land acknowledgment,” she said.

“We’ve launched Indigenous platforms that support B.C. homeowners, renters, and businesses that support Indigenous rights in our backyard. People can go on and commit to making voluntary contribution payments to the nations they have their land on.”

A calculator on the site helps you figure out what the suggested payment is. For renters, the suggested amount is one per cent of what you pay each month. For homeowners, it’s one per cent of property taxes.

“This is a way to sort of pay rent for 150 years or so of rent-free living,” said Divine. “This is a way to connect and say thank you and support Indigenous land, language, and nation-building processes in the places we are lucky enough to work, live, and play on.”

People living in Metro Vancouver can sign up online.