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Conceptions of Sovereignty Western University Scholarship@Western Master of Studies in Law Research Papers Repository Law School January 2019 Conceptions of Sovereignty Paul Hansen Supervisor: Michael Coyle University of Western Ontario Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/mslp Part of the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons, Jurisprudence Commons, and the Law and Society Commons Recommended Citation Hansen, Paul, "Conceptions of Sovereignty" (2019). Master of Studies in Law Research Papers Repository. 6. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/mslp/6 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School at Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Studies in Law Research Papers Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This paper explores conceptions of sovereignty held by Canada’s Indigenous and Western cultures. It seeks to determine what sovereignty entails and how the Crown- Indigenous relationship is affected by the judgments of Canada’s courts. The study makes no attempt to compare the relative merits of Indigenous and Western sovereignty conceptions. Similarly, it does not examine nor attempt to reconcile sovereignty-related tensions that may exist between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. The research is framed by a two-part question: (1) What are the defining characteristics of Indigenous and Western conceptions of sovereignty; and (2) what impact do the sovereignty-related judgments of Canada’s courts have on the Crown-Indigenous relationship? I investigate sovereignty from the perspectives of theoretical first principles, contemporary interpretations, and Canadian jurisprudence, principally Delgamuukw v British Columbia, a landmark case that established key legal principles pertaining to Indigenous title, evidentiary rules, and the powers of extinguishment. I conclude that the lack of political will is the principal impediment to achieving a just, harmonious relationship between the Crown and Canada’s Indigenous peoples, regardless of their respective conceptions of sovereignty. Keywords Indigenous, Aboriginal, First Nations, sovereignty, diversity, self-determination, constitutions, jurisprudence, Delgamuukw v British Columbia i Acknowledgments I am very appreciative of the support and encouragement provided by my supervisor Professor Michael Coyle of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law during the past year and throughout the preparation of this report. I benefitted greatly from his expertise, generosity, and patience as I struggled to understand key concepts and legal principles. I am also grateful to Professors Gillian Demeyere, Ronald George, Samuel Trosow, and Margaret-Ann Wilkinson, for their help in legal writing, Indigenous legal traditions, jurisprudence, and research methods. I would be remiss if I neglected to thank the Faculty of Law Graduate Office and Law Library staff, particularly Mary Morris and John Sadler, for their support. Lastly, I am indebted to my family and fellow students for their encouragement throughout the past year. Thank you. ii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Scope and Methodology ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Scope and Methodology ......................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................. 5 2 Sovereignty .................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Traditional Indigenous Sovereignty ........................................................................ 8 2.2.1 Pre-contact Governance ............................................................................ 10 2.2.2 Contributing Factors ................................................................................. 13 2.2.3 Oral Traditions .......................................................................................... 14 2.2.4 Homogeneity ............................................................................................. 18 2.2.5 The Land Dilemma ................................................................................... 21 2.3 Traditional Western Sovereignty .......................................................................... 25 2.4 Westphalian Sovereignty ...................................................................................... 27 2.4.1 Sovereign Power ....................................................................................... 31 2.4.2 Territoriality .............................................................................................. 33 2.4.3 International Recognition.......................................................................... 35 2.5 Evolving Indigenous Sovereignty ......................................................................... 37 2.5.1 Indigenous Constitutions .......................................................................... 41 2.5.2 Modern Treaties ........................................................................................ 45 2.6 Evolving Westphalian Sovereignty....................................................................... 46 iii 2.6.1 Scope of Authority .................................................................................... 47 2.6.2 Cosmopolitanism ...................................................................................... 48 2.7 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 49 2.7.1 Jean Cohen ................................................................................................ 50 2.7.2 Taiaiake Alfred ......................................................................................... 51 2.7.3 Dale Turner ............................................................................................... 54 2.7.4 John Borrows ............................................................................................ 55 2.7.5 Bruce Clark ............................................................................................... 57 2.7.6 Summary ................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 60 3 The New World ............................................................................................................ 60 3.1 Discovery and Settlement ..................................................................................... 60 3.2 First Inhabitants .................................................................................................... 60 3.2.1 The Europeans .......................................................................................... 61 3.2.2 Early Indigenous Relations ....................................................................... 63 3.3 Politics, Policies and Promises ............................................................................. 65 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................... 70 4 Sovereignty and the Law .............................................................................................. 70 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 70 4.2 Principal Legal Instruments .................................................................................. 71 4.2.1 The Royal Proclamation, 1763 ................................................................. 71 4.2.2 Constitution Act, 1867 .............................................................................. 72 4.2.3 Constitution Act, 1982 .............................................................................. 73 4.2.4 Indian Act, RSC (1985) c 1-5 ................................................................... 74 4.3 Sovereignty, Courts, and Laws ............................................................................. 77 iv 4.4 Relevant Cases ...................................................................................................... 80 4.5 Delgamuukw v British Columbia ......................................................................... 80 4.5.1 Background ............................................................................................... 81 4.5.2 Trial Court ................................................................................................. 81 4.5.3 Court of Appeal......................................................................................... 83 4.5.4
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