Finding the Path Forward for Membertou

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Finding the Path Forward for Membertou The Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program, AAEDIRP Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou September 2013 Report prepared by Rachel Starks, with assistance from Janice Esther Tulk, Tamara Young, Mary Beth Doucette, Trevor Bernard, and Cheryl Knockwood THE ATLANTIC ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATED RESEARCH PROGRAM (AAEDIRP) THE ATLANTIC POLICY CONGRESS OF FIRST NATIONS CHIEFS The AAEDIRP is a unique partnership between the member communities of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs Secretariat (APCFNC), the Innu and Inuit of Labrador, twelve Atlantic Canadian universities, and federal and provincial government funders. The AAEDIRP funders include Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs for the Province of Nova Scotia. The main purpose of the AAEDIRP is to improve the knowledge base concerning Atlantic Aboriginal economic development in order to improve the lives of Aboriginal peoples in the region. To achieve this mandate, the AAEDIRP conducts research that is relevant to Atlantic Aboriginal communities and organizations by linking community needs with Atlantic university resources and by using community-based participatory research methods. The research projects approach community economic development from a broad, holistic perspective based on Aboriginal culture, languages and direction from Elders. The AAEDIRP’s university partners include: Acadia University Cape Breton University Dalhousie University Memorial University Mount Allison University Mount Saint Vincent University Saint Mary’s University St. Francis Xavier University St. Thomas University Université de Moncton University of New Brunswick University of PEI The AAEDIRP is administered by the APCFNC. The APCFNC is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1992, and incorporated in 1995. The APCFNC speaks with one voice on behalf of First Nations communities in Atlantic Canada. The mandate of the APCFNC is to research, analyze and develop alternatives to federal policies affecting Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Innu and Passmaquoddy First Nations in the Atlantic region. Through research and analysis, the APCFNC also develops and tables policy alternatives on socio-economic issues affecting First Nations communities in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Maine, USA. Copyright © 2013, Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat Disclaimer: The authors of this publication have worked independently and opinions expressed by them do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chiefs, Communities, staff or funders of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs. For More Information, Please Contact: The Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat 153 Willowdale Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2V 0A5 (902) 435-8021 www.apcfnc.ca 2 Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou Research Team Academic Team Lead Rachel Starks, Senior Researcher and Research Coordinator, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona Community Research Team Lead Cheryl Knockwood, Governance Coordinator, Membertou Co-Researchers Trevor Bernard, Executive Director, Membertou Mary Beth Doucette, Director, Quality Assurance and ISO Compliance, Membertou and Associate Chair, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies, Cape Breton University Miriam Jorgensen, Research Director, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona Janice Esther Tulk, Senior Research Associate, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies, Cape Breton University Tamara Young, Student Researcher, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies, Cape Breton University Faculty Supervisors Keith G. Brown, Vice President, International and Aboriginal Affairs, and Chair, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies, Cape Breton University Stephen Cornell, Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona Independent Reviewer John Borrows, Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy and Society, University of Minnesota Advisory Committee: Membertou Governance Committee Candice Paul Gloria Nicholas Muriel Moore-Waldvogel Dr. Peter Christmas Katy McEwan Eileen Paul Trevor Bernard Alexandria Christmas Angela Paul Jennifer Martin Dan Christmas Laurianne Stevens Pam Paul Mary Beth Doucette Laurie Doucette Michael Isadore Ike Paul Janine Christmas Deanna Joe Jane Bernard Margaret Johnson Peter Waldvogel Bernadette Christmas Jacob Marshall Jane. E Meader Rebecca Scirocco-Paul Austin Christmas Jeff Ward Derek B. Christmas Donna Brown Donna Christmas 3 AAEDIRP Research Subcommittee Chief Darlene Bernard, Lennox Island First Nation (sitting member for 2011-2013) Dr. Jeff Orr, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Education, St. Francis Xavier University Dr. Sharon Taylor, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Memorial University Dr. Laurel Lewey, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, St. Thomas University John Paul, Executive Director, Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Patti Doyle-Bedwell, Director and Associate Professor, Transition Year Program/College of Continuing Education, Dalhousie University Robert Atwin, Executive Director, First Nations Education Initiatives Inc. Acknowledgements The research team would like to thank the following people for their participation in this project: Membertou community, personnel, and Chief and Council Debra Campbell – Professional Development Manager and Master Instructor at National Aboriginal Land Managers Association (NALMA), and Musqueam Indian Band citizen Meko Nicholas – Assistant Director of Land Advisory Board Resources Centre (LABRC), and Tobique First Nation citizen Additionally, we thank the contributors from the following communities: Westbank First Nation Tzeachten First Nation Haida Gwaii, Council of the Haida Nation Tsawwassen First Nation Sliammon First Nation Whitecap Dakota First Nation Muskoday First Nation Nipissing First Nation Georgina Island First Nation Nunatsiavut Labrador Inuit Government 4 Executive Summary This in-depth, interview-based study was commissioned by Membertou Chief and Council and the Membertou Governance Committee, and funded by the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program to investigate methods by which Membertou First Nation can further increase its decision-making power over economic development. Membertou has made significant economic strides but increasingly struggles against the limits of Canada’s Indian Act, especially in terms of land management. Without a well understood, reliable, and transactionally efficient land regime, the First Nation cannot achieve its community development goals. In fact, recent experiences with commercial and residential development have underscored the insufficiency of Indian Act protocols and the limits on “work-arounds” Membertou has used to avoid those protocols. A wholly new approach is needed. Membertou’s leadership has made the decision to participate in the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management as a means of opting out of the lands- relevant portions of the Indian Act. This project emerges from that decision and addresses the following questions: What more does the nation need to do at the level of band governance to implement the Framework Agreement? What institutional and legal infrastructure is needed to support First Nation-led land management? What might Membertou learn from other First Nations that are managing their own lands (under the Land Management Act or other arrangements such as self-governance agreements, treaty settlements, and comprehensive land claims)? What are the preferences of the Membertou community in terms of land management arrangements? Embarking on this study, Membertou already had some understanding of the issues surrounding land management. Band leadership knew that: There is a divergence of community opinions on how land should be used. Community opinions are not easily addressed under Indian Act system – communities need to have more control to figure this out. Aboriginal communities have different reasons for taking over land management (location-specific issues, participation in the larger economy, a desire to better manage the reserve land base). Improved land management practices and procedures could strengthen and develop economic partnerships. There is diversity in land management models, and no one solution works for every First Nation. Interviews with lands managers from ten Aboriginal governments† (representing four provinces) and two experts in First Nations lands management focused on the points to † Westbank First Nation (BC), Tzeachten First Nation (BC), Haida Gwaii, Council of the Haida Nation (BC), Tsawwassen First Nation (BC), Sliammon First Nation (BC), Whitecap Dakota First Nation (SK), 5 consider when developing a lands management system. These key informants’ points ranged from practical details of organizational structure and institutional capacity to cultural considerations, such as the importance of incorporating cultural practices and priorities into the land management code. Lands management experts advised Membertou to: Decide on the most appropriate organizational structure for a lands management office; Be aware of the First Nation’s land tenure situation and the implications of current allotment practices; Build institutional
Recommended publications
  • Guide for Working with Indigenous Students Interdisciplinary Development Initiative (Idi) in Applied Indigenous Scholarship Acknowledgments
    GUIDE FOR WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS STUDENTS INTERDISCIPLINARY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (IDI) IN APPLIED INDIGENOUS SCHOLARSHIP ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Western University is situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lunaapewak, and Attawandaron peoples, who have long-standing relationships to the land and region of southwestern Ontario and the city of London. The local First Nations communities are the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the Oneida Nation of the Thames, and the Munsee Delaware Nation. Contributors This Guide was made possible through the collaborative vision, effort and support of Western University’s Interdisciplinary Development Initiative (IDI) in Applied Indigenous Scholarship. This IDI is composed of an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff and students who represent eight of Western’s Academic Faculties, as well as Student Experience, Indigenous Services and the Centre for Teaching and Learning. We would also like to thank Western’s Indigenous Postsecondary Education Council (IPEC) members and other community partners who provided valuable input in the development of this Guide. Leads: Candace Brunette Faculty of Education Chantelle Richmond Faculty of Social Science Contributors: Robert Andersen Faculty of Social Science Jamie Baxter Faculty of Social Science Brian Branfireun Faculty of Science Deborah Coward Office of the Registrar / Student Experience Michael Coyle Faculty of Law Brent Debassige Faculty of Education Rick Ezekiel Student Experience Janice Forsyth Faculty of Social Science Aisha
    [Show full text]
  • Alex M. Cameron, Power Without Law. the Supreme Court of Canada, .The Marshall Decisions, and the Failure of Judicial Activism
    Dalhousie Law Journal Volume 33 Issue 1 Article 6 4-1-2010 Alex M. Cameron, Power Without Law. The Supreme Court of Canada, .the Marshall Decisions, and the Failure of Judicial Activism Dianne Pothier Dalhousie University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.schulichlaw.dal.ca/dlj Part of the Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons Recommended Citation Dianne Pothier, "Alex M. Cameron, Power Without Law. The Supreme Court of Canada, .the Marshall Decisions, and the Failure of Judicial Activism" (2010) 33:1 Dal LJ 189. This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Schulich Law Scholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dalhousie Law Journal by an authorized editor of Schulich Law Scholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Book Review Power Without Law: The Supreme CourtofCanada,the MarshallDecisions, and the Failure of Judicial Activism by Alex M. Cameron. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2009. 244 pages. Alex Cameron's book, Power Without Law, is a scathing critique of the Supreme Court of Canada's 1999 decisions in R. v. Marshall' upholding Donald Marshall Jr.'s Mi'kmaq treaty claim. Cameron's book has attracted a lot of attention because of the author's position as Crown counsel for the government of Nova Scotia. 2 Cameron was not involved as a lawyer in the Marshall case itself. As a fisheries prosecution, Marshall was a matter of federal jurisdiction pursuant to s. 91(12) of the Constitution Act, 1867,1 and Nova Scotia chose not to intervene.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a Treaty-Based Practice of Relationality by Gina Starblanket
    Beyond Rights and Wrongs: Towards a Treaty-Based Practice of Relationality by Gina Starblanket M.A., University of Victoria, 2012 B.A. Hons., University of Regina, 2008 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Indigenous Governance Program ã Gina Starblanket, 2017 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Beyond Rights and Wrongs: Towards a Treaty-Based Practice of Relationality by Gina Starblanket M.A., University of Victoria, 2012 B.A. Hons., University of Regina, 2008 Supervisory Committee Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Department of Political Science Co-Supervisor Dr. Taiaiake Alfred, Indigenous Governance Program Co-Supervisor Dr. Jeff Corntassel, Indigenous Governance Program Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Department of Political Science Co-Supervisor Dr. Taiaiake Alfred, Indigenous Governance Program Co-Supervisor Dr. Jeff Corntassel, Indigenous Governance Program Departmental Member This research explores the implications of the distinction between transactional and relational understandings of the Numbered Treaties, negotiated by Indigenous peoples and the Dominion of Canada from 1871-1921. It deconstructs representations of the Numbered Treaties as “land transactions” and challenges the associated forms of oppression that emerge from this interpretation. Drawing on oral histories of the Numbered Treaties, it argues instead that they established a framework for relationship that expressly affirmed the continuity of Indigenous legal and political orders. Further, this dissertation positions treaties as a longstanding Indigenous political institution, arguing for the resurgence of a treaty-based ethic of relationality that has multiple applications in the contemporary context.
    [Show full text]
  • Order Paper and Notice Paper Feuilleton Et Feuilleton Des Avis
    CANADA HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES 37th PARLIAMENT 37e LÉGISLATURE FIRST SESSION PREMIÈRE SESSION Order Paper Feuilleton and et Notice Paper Feuilleton des Avis AT PROROGATION À LA PROROGATION Monday, September 16, 2002 Le lundi 16 septembre 2002 For further information, contact the Journals Branch Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer at 9922038. avec la Direction des journaux au 9922038. The Order Paper is the official agenda for the House of Commons Le Feuilleton, qui est le programme officiel de la Chambre des and is published for each sitting. It lists all of the items of business communes, est publié pour chaque séance et comprend la liste des that may be brought forward during that sitting. The Notice Paper affaires qui pourraient être étudiées pendant la séance. Le contains notice of all items Members wish to introduce in the Feuilleton des Avis comprend les avis des motions et des House. questions que les députés veulent présenter à la Chambre. Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Publié en conformité de l'autorité du Président de la Commons Chambre des communes Monday, September 16, 2002 Le lundi 16 septembre 2002 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE DES MATIÈRES Page Page Order Paper Feuilleton Introduction of Private Members’ Bills..................................... ..7 Dépôt de projets de loi émanant des députés...............................7 Motions...................................................................................... 13 Motions ...................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Fisheries Issues: May 2003
    HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA ATLANTIC FISHERIES ISSUES: MAY 2003 REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS Tom Wappel, M.P. Chairman November 2003 The Speaker of the House hereby grants permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part for use in schools and for other purposes such as private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary. Any commercial or other use or reproduction of this publication requires the express prior written authorization of the Speaker of the House of Commons. If this document contains excerpts or the full text of briefs presented to the Committee, permission to reproduce these briefs, in whole or in part, must be obtained from their authors. Also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire: http://www.parl.gc.ca Available from Communication Canada — Publishing, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0S9 ATLANTIC FISHERIES ISSUES: MAY 2003 REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS Tom Wappel, M.P. Chairman November 2003 STANDING COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS CHAIRMAN Tom Wappel VICE-CHAIRS John Cummins Bill Matthews MEMBERS Andy Burton Dominic LeBlanc Rodger Cuzner Joe Peschisolido R. John Efford Carmen Provenzano Reed Elley Jean-Yves Roy Georges Farrah Peter Stoffer Ghislain Fournier Bob Wood Loyola Hearn CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Jeremy LeBlanc FROM THE RESEARCH BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Alan Nixon François Côté iii THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS has the honour to present its SEVENTH REPORT Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee has studied Atlantic fisheries issues and is pleased to report as follows: v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Constitutional Reconciliation and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1 Amy Swi! En*
    Constitutional Reconciliation and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1 Amy Swi! en* ) is paper considers the relationship between Ce document examine la relation entre the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and la Charte des droits et libertés et Indigenous self-determination in the context l'autodétermination autochtone dans le of constitutional reconciliation in Canada. contexte de la réconciliation constitutionnelle It begins by reviewing case law and legal au Canada. Il commence par examiner la scholarship on the application of the Charter jurisprudence ainsi que les connaissances to Aboriginal governments, with a particular juridiques relatives à l'application de la focus on the debates over the interpretation Charte aux gouvernements autochtones, en of section 25, which stipulates that Charter accordant une attention particulière aux rights cannot "abrogate or derogate" from débats sur l'interprétation de l'article 25, qui Aboriginal and treaty rights. I show that, stipule que les droits garantis par la Charte ne while di% erent options have been suggested for peuvent " abroger " les droits ancestraux et issus how the Charter could be interpreted in the de traités ou " déroger " à ceux-ci. Je démontre case of a con' ict between Charter rights and que, bien que di% érentes options aient été Aboriginal rights, each of these possibilities suggérées quant à la manière dont la Charte creates problems of its own. Fundamentally, pourrait être interprétée dans le cas d'un con' it the seemingly irresolvable tensions that emerge entre les droits de la Charte et les droits des between the various interpretations of section Autochtones, chacune de ces possibilités crée des 25 re' ect a deeper problem that it is necessary problèmes qui lui sont propres.
    [Show full text]
  • Kinamaadiwin Inaakonigewin: a Path to Reconciliation and Anishinaabe Cultural Resurgence
    Kinamaadiwin Inaakonigewin: A Path to Reconciliation and Anishinaabe Cultural Resurgence by Leo Baskatawang A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Native Studies University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2021p. by Leo Baskatawang Abstract: The processes of colonization, which are maintained and enforced in a settler-colonial state through ideological apparatuses such as the justice system, health care, social services, and education have been exceedingly detrimental to Indigenous knowledges and ways of life. These apparatuses are primarily constructed to establish or maintain an ideological order such as capitalism, but also to identify and punish deviant or different ideologies, for instance Indigenous relationality. In the context of education and law, my dissertation will show how Indigenous oral traditions and spirituality have historically been attacked as being primitive and uncivilized, which laid a foundation to implement policies such as the Residential School System, as well as to write laws that are designed to erase Indigenous identity and rights, ie. the Indian Act. Despite the attack on Indigenous oral traditions and spirituality, however, traditional forms of Indigenous law and principles of education have survived. This is partly due to the advancement of ‘Aboriginal’ and treaty rights’ in Canada over the past forty years. The evolution of ‘Aboriginal and treaty rights’ is best observed in the context of Canadian case law and ‘Indian’ policy and resistance. In the latest development of this evolutionary process, the Canadian state has committed itself to a policy of reconciliation with Indigenous nations and peoples.
    [Show full text]
  • Supreme Court of Canada Decisions of the Year Past Charlotte A
    The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference Volume 34 (2006) Article 15 A Corner Turned: Supreme Court of Canada Decisions of the Year Past Charlotte A. Bell Q.C. Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/sclr This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Citation Information Bell, Charlotte A. Q.C.. "A Corner Turned: Supreme Court of Canada Decisions of the Year Past." The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference 34. (2006). http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/sclr/vol34/iss1/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Osgoode Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The uS preme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference by an authorized editor of Osgoode Digital Commons. A Corner Turned: Supreme Court of Canada Decisions of the Year Past Charlotte A. Bell, Q.C.∗ I. INTRODUCTION This year, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down two significant decisions, R. v. Marshall; R. v. Bernard 1 (and its Nova Scotia counterpart, R. v. Stephen Marshall),2 and Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Minister of Canadian Heritage).3 Superficially read, these cases seem to represent a complete turnabout — in one case the Court adopts a very restrictive posture towards the protection of Aboriginal rights, and in the next, seems to adopt the opposite. Upon a more thoughtful read, when taken together, the cases suggest a more cohesive approach, and indicate where the Supreme Court is heading in the area of assertion and protection of Aboriginal rights.
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou
    The Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Development Integrated Research Program, AAEDIRP Managing Land, Governing for the Future: Finding the Path Forward for Membertou September 2013 Report prepared by Rachel Starks, with assistance from Janice Esther Tulk, Tamara Young, Mary Beth Doucette, Trevor Bernard, and Cheryl Knockwood THE ATLANTIC ABORIGINAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATED RESEARCH PROGRAM (AAEDIRP) THE ATLANTIC POLICY CONGRESS OF FIRST NATIONS CHIEFS The AAEDIRP is a unique partnership between the member communities of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs Secretariat (APCFNC), the Innu and Inuit of Labrador, twelve Atlantic Canadian universities, and federal and provincial government funders. The AAEDIRP funders include Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and the Office of Aboriginal Affairs for the Province of Nova Scotia. The main purpose of the AAEDIRP is to improve the knowledge base concerning Atlantic Aboriginal economic development in order to improve the lives of Aboriginal peoples in the region. To achieve this mandate, the AAEDIRP conducts research that is relevant to Atlantic Aboriginal communities and organizations by linking community needs with Atlantic university resources and by using community-based participatory research methods. The research projects approach community economic development from a broad, holistic perspective based on Aboriginal culture, languages and direction from Elders. The AAEDIRP’s university partners include: Acadia University Cape Breton University Dalhousie University Memorial University Mount Allison University Mount Saint Vincent University Saint Mary’s University St. Francis Xavier University St. Thomas University Université de Moncton University of New Brunswick University of PEI The AAEDIRP is administered by the APCFNC.
    [Show full text]
  • Understand Your Rights an Annotated Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Contents
    UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS AN ANNOTATED GUIDE TO THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS CONTENTS Section 1: Rights and Freedoms in Canada ..........................................................................................................3 Section 2: Fundamental Freedoms .........................................................................................................................5 Section 3: Democratic Rights of Citizens .............................................................................................................9 Section 4: Democratic Rights ................................................................................................................................11 Section 5: Democratic Rights ................................................................................................................................11 Section 6: Mobility of Citizens ................................................................................................................................11 Section 7: Life, Liberty, and Security of the Person ...........................................................................................14 Section 8: Legal Rights ............................................................................................................................................16 Section 9: Legal Rights ............................................................................................................................................17 Section 10: Legal Rights .........................................................................................................................................18
    [Show full text]
  • “Salmon for Peanut Butter”: Equality, Reconciliation and the Rejection of Commercial Aboriginal Rights
    “Salmon for Peanut Butter”: Equality, Reconciliation and the Rejection of Commercial Aboriginal Rights ANDRÉ GOLDENBERG∗ I INTRODUCTION 62 II THE CONTEXT OF KAPP: REGULATION, LITIGATION AND POLITICS 66 Regulation: Public Fisheries, Licences and Aboriginal Fisheries 66 Litigation: Previous Court Challenges to the AFS 69 Politics: Racialization of the Rights Debate and Hostility Towards Natives 70 III THE “NARROW” LENS: LIMITS OF EQUALITY RIGHTS DISCOURSE 72 Ameliorative Programs, Analogous Grounds and s. 15 of the Charter 72 Substantive Equality and the Limits of Equality Rights Discourse 75 IV THE “SPARROW” LENS: RECONCILIATION AND COMMERCIAL RIGHTS 78 Reconciliation and the Constitutional Protection of Aboriginal Rights 80 Modes of Interaction Between Aboriginal Rights and the Charter 87 “Commercial Aboriginal Rights” as the Focal Point of the Dispute 91 Judicial Reluctance to Recognize or Protect Commercial Rights 92 Political Reluctance to Recognize or Protect Commercial Rights 95 ∗ B. Arts & Science (McMaster University), M.A. (York University), LL.B. (Osgoode Hall Law School). Recently graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School, the author commences clerking for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa this fall and for the Supreme Court of Canada next spring. The author would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions and guidance of Professor Sonia Lawrence at Osgoode, who supervised this paper as an independent research project, and the patience and support of his friends and family. Indigenous Law Journal/Volume 3/Fall 2004 61 62 Indigenous Law Journal Vol. 3 The Reluctance to Recognize Commercial Rights in the Kapp Decision 97 Sources of the Reluctance to Recognize Commercial Rights 98 Towards a More Satisfactory Theory of Commercial Aboriginal Rights 100 V THE PROBLEMS AND LIMITS OF ABORIGINAL RIGHTS LITIGATION 103 VI CONCLUSION 109 The recent case of R.
    [Show full text]
  • "I Smooth'd Him up with Fair Words": Lntersocietal Law, from Fur Trade to Treaty
    "I smooth'd him up with fair words": lntersocietal Law, from Fur Trade to Treaty Janna Promislow A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN LAW OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL, YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO December 2012 ©Janna Promislow, 2012 Abstract History is an essential part of aboriginal law. The two disciplines, however, may produce incompatible narratives of indigenous-settler relations. In addition, indigenous legal traditions and the fur trade in the old North West have been under-represented in Canadian legal history, a gap that demotes over two centuries of working relationships to a brief preface to the numbered treaties and confederation. This dissertation seeks to bring under-observed normative relations between indigenous and European traders into Canadian legal history. It further considers the relevance of fur trade law to the jurisprudence on aboriginal treaty rights and the significance of history in overcoming historical injustice in settler states. Using an ethnohistorical methodology, three case studies are presented on the law of the fur trade followed by a chapter connecting the interpretation of the intersocietal law of the fur trade to the interpretation of treaties in history and law. Focussing the fur trade as conducted by the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, the case studies investigate the normative expectations of the indigenous and company traders around particular aspects of the trading relationship. These aspects include institutions of leadership, the formation and maintenance of friendships, negotiations of trading post location, and the exchange of provisions and support in times of famine and illness.
    [Show full text]