The Mainlander is an online publication covering local politics and social issues on unceded Indigenous territory belonging to the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh-ulh Úxwumixw (Squamish), Stó:lo and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Most of the land has never been surrendered. This means that most of BC, including Metro Vancouver, remains unceded Indigenous lands. The settler colony of British Columbia was created using multiple forms of violence and dispossession, which structured our society and created lasting injustices that persist in the present. We acknowledge that today new and pernicious forms of colonial violence and dispossession continue to be perpetrated and actively created by corporations, the state, other organizations and individuals.
The editors of The Mainlander are currently settlers on this land and we are working to support Indigenous sovereignty and land struggles. We unpack and examine the local economy and civic politics that take place on these lands. We aim to illuminate the workings of the city state by analyzing connections between the past and present of the affordability crisis and rising inequality; real estate corporations and corruption at city hall; gentrification and increased policing; racial scapegoating and the exploitation of migrant labour; and local mining firms and environmental destruction.
Editorial collective
Tintin Yang, Vince Tao, Ryan Sudds, Caitlin Shane, Andrei Mihailiuk, Jess Gut, Ben Ger, Hannah Dempsey, Nathan Crompton, Isak Boyd, Molly Beatrice, Aaron Bailey
The Mainlander publishes essays, news, analysis, and investigative features.
Content
The Mainlander is a publication that aims to:
- provide historical context for breaking news and events as they unfold
- unpack politicians’ spin, and provide background information needed to hold them accountable
- present facts that may help social movements and others involved in progressive politics
- translate complex, and often misleading, municipal documents and policies into language that layfolks will appreciate
Independence
The Mainlander operates through the Mainlander Writing Society, which is a registered non-profit society. We do not accept funding or seek reinforcement from real estate developers or political parties, allowing us to speak more truthfully about developers, ruling interests and political parties.