News Release
June 21, 2026
Why Our Lands Are Not For Sale: Celebrating Mildred C. Poplar's Book Release on National Indigenous Peoples Day
(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – June 21, 2026) As First Nations and all Indigenous Peoples across the country celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) proudly celebrates the recent release of Why Our Lands are Not For Sale: The Inside Story of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (Why Our Lands are Not for Sale) by longtime UBCIC advocate and staff member, Mildred C. Poplar. The UBCIC honoured the publication of the book at the June 3, 2026, Chiefs Council meeting held at Shxwhá:y Village (Sto:lo Territory), while also recognizing Millie's decades of service and her invaluable contributions to documenting our collective history and helping us chart the path forward.
Blending Millie’s personal reflections with political history, Why Our Lands are Not for Sale traces the emergence of UBCIC and the generations of leaders, Elders, and community members who worked tirelessly to defend and advance First Nations title and rights. While documenting key moments in UBCIC’s history. The book also reminds readers that the issues at the heart of those struggles remain at the forefront of what we face collectively today.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President, stated “Millie Poplar has captured an important chapter in the history of our political movement and the leaders who helped shape it. As First Nations continue to assert and defend our inherent title and rights and responsibilities to our lands and waters, we are taking up the battles carried by the leaders represented in these pages and continuing the work they began. Their advocacy, unity, and determination continue to guide us as we confront the challenges of today and uphold our responsibilities to future generations. Understanding where we have come from is essential to understanding where we must go.”
Chief Councillor Linda Innes, UBCIC Vice-President said “National Indigenous Peoples Day is an opportunity to celebrate our cultures, histories, and achievements, but also deepen public awareness and understanding of the experiences and struggles that have shaped our Nations. Through Why Our Lands are Not for Sale, Millie Poplar has ensured that these stories are safeguarded and shared with future generations, while encouraging all people to learn more about the ongoing work of upholding our title and rights. This understanding and education is essential to advancing meaningful and transformative reconciliation.”
Chief Marilyn Slett, UBCIC Secretary-Treasurer, concluded “From the protection of cultural heritage and sacred sites to the protection of our women, girls, and Two-Spirit people, and the recognition and implementation of First Nations title and rights, many of the issues confronted by generations before us remain at the forefront of our work. The history documented in this book serves as a powerful reminder that we have a responsibility to carry forward the work of those who came before us and to continue advocating for the rights, responsibilities, and well-being of future generations.”
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, UBCIC encourages the public to celebrate Indigenous Peoples and cultures, to learn more about the history of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the leaders who built it, and to recommit themselves to the ongoing work of reconciliation through education, truth-telling, and action in support of First Nations title and rights.
Copies of Why Our Lands are Not for Sale: The Inside Story of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs are available online from Medicine Wheel Publishing and locally at Massy Books.
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Media inquiries:
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President, 250-490-5314
Chief Councillor Linda Innes, Vice-President, 778-884-5663
Chief Marilyn Slett, Secretary-Treasurer, 250-957-7721
UBCIC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
For more information, please visit www.ubcic.bc.ca