Jari Uimonen From Unitary State to Plural Asymmetric State: Indigenous Quest in France, New Zealand and Canada Acta Electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 142 University of Lapland Faculty of Law © Jari Uimonen Cover: Mikko Sippola Layout: Essi Saloranta / Kronolia Sales: Lapland University Press BOX 8123 FI-90101 Rovaniemi Phone +358 40 821 4242 fax +358 16 362 932 [email protected] www.ulapland.fi/lup Paperback Acta Universitatis Lapponiensis 275 ISBN 978-952-484-717-9 ISSN 0788-7604 pdf Acta Electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 142 ISBN 978-952-484-718-6 ISSN 1793-6310 Acknowledgements This research has a long history. I participated in the seminar of ethnohistory at the University of Helsinki in 1993. There I became for the first time interested in indigenous peoples. I continued with this theme when studying different branches of history, and becoming acquented with the questions of legal cultures and legal pluralism has opened up for me new perspectives on the Indigenous presence in various countries. For me, the collecting of material and the writing of the dissertation have been a rich expedition. I have done most of the research alongside my work, but for the last 1.5 years it has been possible to concentrate full-time on the research. For this I owe the Legal Cultures in Transnational World programme whose Finnish board I want to thank for the opportunity. No less important has been the positive attitude of my co-workers, especially Rev. Anne Angervo, Vaara-Karjala Parish Council and the Chapter of Kuopio Diocese, who have supported my studying in all its phases. I owe my utmost gratitude to two professors: to the late Matti Viikari, Professor of General History at the University of Helsinki, who encouraged me for the first time to approach the Indigenous world, and to my tutor, Professor Jaakko Husa, whose support, encouragement and guidance has been vital to the successful outcome of this research. I want also to thank the personel in the following libraries and institutions for their patience and aid: the University of Helsinki, the University of Turku, The University of Joensuu/Eastern Finland, The University of Lapland, The University of Tampere, The University of Jyväskylä, The University of Åbo Akademi; The Library of the Finnish Parliament; the Embassy of Canada; Centre culturel français; Dag Hammarskiöld Institute (Uppsala); La bibliothèque nationale (Paris); the British Library (London); the Congress Library (Washington, D.C.); McGill University and l’université de Montréal (Montréal); the National Library of Canada (Ottawa); Waikato University (Hamilton); and Victoria University and the National Library of New Zealand (Wellington). And I want also to thank Mr. Nicholas Kirkwood for the language check and Mr. Juhani Lautala for technical support. Last but not least, my family has been the best source of inspiration. I dedicate this work to my parents, to my wife Taru and my children Katariina and Lauri. On the 28 August 2013, at Kontiolahti Jari Uimonen Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 3 Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Terminology ..................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................21 1.1. General introduction ............................................................................................................ 21 1.2. The Many Faces of Law ......................................................................................................... 23 1.2.1. Comparison: Similarity or Difference? ............................................................... 23 1.2.2. Legal Positivism v. Legal Pluralism ...................................................................... 24 1.2.3. Mixing Law: Family Tree, Legal Culture and Tradition .................................... 27 1.2.4. Contextual Aspects ................................................................................................ 30 1.3. Legal Environment ................................................................................................................ 34 1.3.1. France: Domain of Civil Law ................................................................................ 34 1.3.2. New Zealand: Britain Overseas ............................................................................ 38 1.3.3. Canada: A Hybrid System .................................................................................... 42 1.4. The Indigenous Communities ............................................................................................. 45 1.4.1. France: Invisible Minorities .................................................................................. 45 1.4.2. New Zealand: Polynesian Presence ..................................................................... 47 1.4.3. Canada: Three Strands of Indigenuity ................................................................. 48 1.5. Search of Plurality.................................................................................................................. 50 2. Unitary State and the Devolution of Powers............................................................54 2.1. Basic Principles ...................................................................................................................... 54 2.1.1. Sovereignty .............................................................................................................. 54 2.1.2. State .......................................................................................................................... 58 2.1.3. Self-Determination, Autonomy and Secession .................................................. 62 2.2. Indigenous Rights ................................................................................................................. 66 2.2.1. Noble Savage .......................................................................................................... 66 2.2.2. Marshall Trilogy and the Colonial Policy ........................................................... 68 2.2.3. Modern Developments and Discussion ............................................................. 71 2.3. The Constitutional Principles .............................................................................................. 74 2.3.1. France ...................................................................................................................... 74 2.3.1.1. Une république indivisible ........................................................................... 74 2.3.1.2. Secularism ..................................................................................................... 76 2.3.1.3. Democratic and Social Republic ................................................................ 77 2.3.1.4. Equality and Education ............................................................................... 78 2.3.1.5. Language Rights .......................................................................................... 79 2.3.2. New Zealand: Unwritten Principles .................................................................... 81 2.3.3. Canada ..................................................................................................................... 82 2.3.3.1. Fundamental Principles .............................................................................. 83 2.3.3.2. Rights in the Constitution Act, 1982 ......................................................... 87 2.4. Decentralisation / Devolution ............................................................................................. 88 2.4.1. France: From Centralisation to Decentralisation .............................................. 88 2.4.2. New Zealand ........................................................................................................... 92 2.4.2.1. Realm of New Zealand ................................................................................ 92 2.4.2.2. Local Government ...................................................................................... 92 2.4.3. The Provinces and Territories in Canada ............................................................ 93 2.5. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 94 3. Law and Justice .........................................................................................................97 3.1. France ...................................................................................................................................... 97 3.1.1. Spécialité legislative ................................................................................................. 97 3.1.2. Loi du pays.............................................................................................................100 3.1.3. Indigenous Courts and Institutions ...................................................................102 3.1.4. Customary Law ....................................................................................................103 3.1.5. Indigénat and Customary Enforcement of Law ...............................................105