1. ABORIGINAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

2. Shape of the Class Housekeeping Finish up last day’s class
Moves to self-government
Truth & Reconciliation
Meet in groups re: Friday’s papers and debate
If you’re going to write about separation instead of nation in a nation you can, but you won’t get an A

3. Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
Due to publicity around the crisis in Oka
Created in 1991: visited 99 communities to better understand needs
In 1996 tabled a 3500-page report

4. Royal Commission (cont’d)
Recommendations:
Relationships needed restructuring between the federal government and aboriginal peoples
Need for self-determination through self- government
Economic self-sufficiency
Healing for Aboriginal peoples and communities
Self-determintation: nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or interference[3] which can be traced back to the Atlantic Charter

5. Government’s Response
1998: For the most part, the government accepted the main points of the Commission, although slightly watered-down:
Accepted responsibility for working towards treaties
More stable fiscal relationship
Help prepare aboriginals for self-government
Pledged $350 million to support healing

6. Delgamuukw decision (1997)
Ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada
Recognized that land title could extend over large areas of traditional land
Recognized oral history and elder testimony as valid when defining those lands

7. The Nisga’a
Up to the 1990’s, the BC government had refused to acknowledge land claims
Due to the Royal Commission and other recent developments, negotiations were opened again

8. The Nisga’a (cont’d) Land treaty settled in 1998:
Have their own government and their own laws for the area, similar to a municipality or even a province
As of 2013, the first group in Canada to allow its people to own tribal land privately

9. Nunavut
Northwest Territories had two territories within it: Denendeh and Nunavut
1979: voted to split, but how?
Population in the West: Metis and Dene, East: Inuit
Treaties were ongoing with many groups in the area
George Erasmus = Dene; Dene = people of the land
Oil found in the west; passage could be in the north due to global warming

10. Nunavut
1993: The federal government passed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement which would redraw the map of Canada
1999: Became Canada’s 3rd territory, giving it a self-government status that is not held by any other First Nations group in Canada

11. Self-government
34 aboriginal communities across Canada now have self-government
For the most part (treaties vary), this means:
They either have public government (elected and sent to the federal legislature) or land regime management (similar to municipalities)
Have a structure that allows them to relate with nearby governments
They are accountable to their own citizens

12. Videos: Residential Schools
Reconciling to a hard truth:
Stolen children:
Apology:

13. Truth & Reconciliation
A National Event that has been taking place over the past 4 years
By telling the truth about the treatment of Aboriginal people under the Indian Act, there is the hope that the past can be left behind and reconciliation (rehabilitation) can begin

14. Group Question With Truth can we gain Reconciliation?
Half of the class will argue that yes, we can succeed in gaining reconciliation
The other half will argue that no, more needs to be done