Squamish Nation warns of fake letter ordering homeowners to vacate property

The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) is condemning a fake letter that’s circulating among Britannia Beach residents, which claims the nation was asserting Indigenous title over their property and ordering them to leave. 

It comes as questions about Aboriginal title and private property have become a major political issue in B.C., following a B.C. Supreme Court ruling last year involving the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Nation and land in Richmond.

The two-page letter addressing the Britannia resident is titled “Formal notice of asserted Aboriginal title, reclamation of jurisdiction, and directive to vacate.”

It’s dated May 15, 2026, and appears to use the First Nation’s letterhead and the name of chairperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams.

The letter states the Squamish Nation is asserting ownership of their property, and orders the recipient to vacate their home and “remove all personal property, structures, and improvements” within the next six months.

Williams says the letter is fake and the claims in it are “100 per cent false.”

“We are very shocked by this,” said Williams. “The fact that someone would do this is reprehensible.” 

He said the recipient, whose name and address are blacked out for their privacy, reported the letter to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District last week.

The chairperson says he has spoken with the recipients directly and assured them the letter was fake. 

“They were extremely shaken by this,” he said. “It’s not only damaging to the nation but to the family who received this.”

Williams said he has also reported the letter to local police. 

Last year in October, a similar warning was issued from the City of North Vancouver, which said that a fraudulent letter was circulating online about Indigenous land and title. It also appeared to use the city’s logo as a letterhead. 

The latest letter arrives as concerns grow over the impact on private property following the Cowichan ruling last year.

The landmark court decision ruled the Cowichan Tribes have Aboriginal title over a large swath of Richmond, B.C., that Crown and city titles within it are defective and invalid. It said the granting of private titles by the government unjustifiably infringed on the Cowichan title.

The Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Nation has repeatedly said private property owners will not be affected but the issue continues to spark political debate around how Aboriginal title and private property can coexist.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in the Lower Mainland this weekend to promote a motion, which he says, is aimed at protecting property rights. 

The motion, which goes to vote on Monday, calls on the Liberal government to require federal lawyers to argue that private property rights come first above all other forms of title. 

“We want this again to be a country where hard work earns you a great life, where you can buy and own a home that stays yours as long as you have it,” he said during a townhall in Vancouver on Saturday.

First Nations leaders, however, are pushing back against that rhetoric, calling it a “red herring.”

“Contrary to the Conservatives’ misinformation on private property rights, the court did not order the seizure of homes, did not invalidate the ownership of any private property anywhere in B.C.,” the First Nations Summit said in a statement Friday.

The Squamish Nation says the fraudulent letter is a deliberate provocation designed to “divide, and it truly hurts us all.”

Williams said only one letter has been officially reported thus far, but is asking anyone else who receives a similar letter to contact the Squamish Nation via their website. 

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is also asking the public to report any similar letters to it at communications@slrd.bc.ca.

“The situation has the potential to create confusion, concern and mistrust in the community,” it said in an online statement.