Salt Island. Elected Members expressed concerns about the specific land history and inheritance practices in Anegada, Salt Island, and Nottingham Estate. Photo: Team of Reporters

Nottingham Estate. Elected Members expressed concerns about the specific land history and inheritance practices in Anegada, Salt Island, and Nottingham Estate. Photo: Google Earth

Anegada. The House of Assembly Members have determined that Anegada should be considered ancestral lands. Photo: Internet Source

Take, for example, the Commissioner, who was not aware of our land history, recommended that all crown lands sold to the people must be sold at market value. The CoI did not take into account or deliberately left out the unique history of lands on Anegada, Salt Island or Nottingham Estate.

Today, for example, the people of Anegada continue to be unable to get their lands because of the new commercial rates imposed by the UK via the CoI’s recommendations.

With this as the background, Elected Members expressed concerns about the specific land history and inheritance practices in Anegada, Salt Island, and Nottingham Estate, as well as the risk that current legal arrangements may not adequately reflect long-standing cultural and historical expectations surrounding land ownership in these areas.

The objective was to acknowledge the unique character of these lands within the broader public land framework, while ensuring that any protections are practical, evidence-based, and resilient against misuse.

Decision of the HoA Committee 

The Committee agreed that the Constitution should recognise “ancestral lands” as a distinct sub-category within the broader VI land framework, with detailed eligibility rules and any restrictions or safeguards to be developed through legislation and drafting.

In their report, the HoA Members agreed on a constitutional amendment to protect ancestral lands, and will be seeking this in the new constitution, as the negotiation team led by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) will head to London in a few weeks.

Elected Members treated ancestral lands as a targeted recognition grounded in historical practice, not as a broad new status entitlement. They emphasised that any operational rules must be drafted with precision and supported by appropriate evidential and administrative mechanisms to avoid unintended consequences.

It is hoped that this will give special rights and privileges to those who are eligible to obtain these ancestral lands.