n. & combinations — abbreviation, First Nations
a reserve; an area of of land set aside by the government for the exclusive use of Aboriginal peoples.
Type: 4. Culturally Significant — A rather recent abbreviation of reserve (see entry), the short form shows how First Nations members are finding ways to adopt and manipulate terms that were originally prescribed by the colonizers, such as reserve.
COD-2, s.v. "rez", labels the term "N.Amer.".
See also: reserve (meaning 1)
- 1990  Similarly, Emily Dictionary seems an unappealing character when we first meet her: a coarse, tough, foul-mouthed young woman recently come home to "the rez" from California. 
- 1997  Since this film is based on "rez" life and, as we know from his plays, this is one of Highway's creative specialties, his validation of the film seems to dispel any further controversy. It is intriguing that Highway's lofty position is so secure that an approval from him indicates that a film is authentically native. 
- 2003  The band members in most cases do not have a clue of the mechanics on rez because there are many of us who are regimented from attending meetings, and are even prohibited from entering any of the federally funded buildings at any time. 
- 2009  Now I am a grandmother of eight grandchildren and three step-grandchildren and it’s sad
that some of them will never know what life was like on the res! 
- 2009  Delegates strolled in and out of the Telus Convention Centre, scene of all the action. They stormed the patios lining Stephen Avenue, window-shopped on Centre Street, and held a magnificent pow-wow in the Olympic Plaza, which had its pond drained to make room for all the dancers. You could almost hear the Indian Act's authors turning in their grave at the sight of all those feathers so far off-rez. 
- 2015  There are plenty of stories about love on the rez, but few are quite like the tale of Kevin and Val Whyte. They recount how a small town boy from New Brunswick fell for a girl from the Northern Manitoba community of Pukatawagan. 
- 2016  SIX NATIONS AND KAHNAWAKE CONFIRM NO TOBACCO RAIDS ON REZ IN SQ BUST
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) announced they executed a major contraband tobacco raid, busting what they have called “aboriginal organized crime” at Kahnawake and Six Nations.
The SQ issued a statement saying nearly 60 people were arrested and several locations raided on Kahnawake and Six Nations during the raid.
Six Nations Elected Council released a joint statement with the Six Nations Police refuting the claim of the SQ saying there were no raids or arrests relating to this case on the territory.