Indigenous Difference and the Constitution of Canada

Indigenous Difference and the Constitution of Canada PDF

Author: Patrick Macklem

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2001-12-15

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1442658800

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There is a unique constitutional relationship between Aboriginal people and the Canadian state – a relationship that does not exist between other Canadians and the state. It's from this central premise that Patrick Macklem builds his argument in this outstanding and significant work. Why does this special relationship exist? What does it entail in terms of Canadian constitutional order? There are, Macklem argues, four complex social facts that lie at the heart of the relationship. First, Aboriginal people belong to distinctive cultures that were and continue to be threatened by non-Aboriginal beliefs, philosophies, and ways of life. Second, prior to European contact, Aboriginal people lived in and occupied North America. Third, prior to European contact, Aboriginal people not only occupied North America; they exercised sovereign authority over persons and territory. Fourth, Aboriginal people participated in and continue to participate in a treaty process with the Crown. Together, these four social conditions are exclusive to the Aboriginal people of North America and constitute what Macklem refers to as indigenous difference. Exploring the constitutional significance of indigenous difference in light of the challenges it poses to the ideal of equal citizenship, Macklem engages an interdisciplinary methodology that treats constitutional law as an enterprise that actively distributes power, primarily in the form of rights and jurisdiction, among a variety of legal actors, including individuals, groups, institutions, and governments. On this account, constitutional law refers to an ongoing project of aspiring to distributive justice, disciplined but not determined by text, structure, or precedent. Far from threatening equality, constitutional protection of indigenous difference promotes equal and therefore just distributions of constitutional power. The book details constitutional rights to Aboriginal people that protect interests associated with culture, territory, sovereignty, and the treaty process, and explores the circumstances in which these rights can be interfered with by the Canadian state. It also examines the relation between these rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Feedoms, and proposes extensive reform of existing treaty processes in order to protect and promote their exercise. Macklem's book offers a challenge to traditional understandings of the constitutional status of indigenous peoples, relevant not only to Canadian debates but also to those in other parts of the world where indigenous peoples are asserting greater autonomy over their collective futures.

Indigenous Difference and the Constitution of Canada

Indigenous Difference and the Constitution of Canada PDF

Author: Patrick Macklem

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2001-01-01

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 9780802080493

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An investigation of the unique constitutional relationship between Aboriginal people and the Canadian state, a relationship that does not exist between Canada and other Canadians.

Indigenous Rights

Indigenous Rights PDF

Author: Anthony J. Connolly

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 458

ISBN-13: 1351927914

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Throughout the world, indigenous rights have become increasingly prominent and controversial. The recent adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the latest in a series of significant developments in the recognition of such rights across a range of jurisdictions. The papers in this collection address the most important philosophical and practical issues informing the discussion of indigenous rights over the past decade or so, at both the international and national levels. Its contributing authors comprise some of the most interesting and influential indigenous and non-indigenous thinkers presently writing on the topic.

Constitutional Crossroads

Constitutional Crossroads PDF

Author: Kate Puddister

Publisher: UBC Press

Published: 2022-12-01

Total Pages: 521

ISBN-13: 0774867949

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Four decades have passed since the adoption of the Constitution Act, 1982. Now it is time to assess its legacy. Constitutional Crossroads brings together an impressive assembly of established and rising stars of political science and law, who not only provide a robust account of the 1982 constitutional reform but also analyze the ensuing scholarship that has shaped our understanding of the Constitution. Contributors bypass historical description to offer reflective assessments of issues such as sovereignty, identity and pluralism, the scope and limits of rights, competing constitutional visions, the relationship between the state and Indigenous peoples, and the nature and methods of constitutional change.

Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Canada

Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Canada PDF

Author: Michael Asch

Publisher: UBC Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 9780774805810

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Contains eight essays redressing bias in the Canadian legal system against Indigenous peoples, discussing recent court decisions, current legal and cultural theory, and newly discovered historical information. Of particular note are data relevant to a better understanding of the political and legal relations established by treaty and the Royal Proclamation of 1763. Other topics include the definition of Aboriginal rights, and the privileging of written over oral testimony in litigation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism

Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism PDF

Author: John Borrows

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2016-05-12

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 1442630957

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Indigenous traditions can be uplifting, positive, and liberating forces when they are connected to living systems of thought and practice. Problems arise when they are treated as timeless models of unchanging truth that require unwavering deference and unquestioning obedience. Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism celebrates the emancipatory potential of Indigenous traditions, considers their value as the basis for good laws and good lives, and critiques the failure of Canadian constitutional traditions to recognize their significance. Demonstrating how Canada’s constitutional structures marginalize Indigenous peoples’ ability to exercise power in the real world, John Borrows uses Ojibwe law, stories, and principles to suggest alternative ways in which Indigenous peoples can work to enhance freedom. Among the stimulating issues he approaches are the democratic potential of civil disobedience, the hazards of applying originalism rather than living tree jurisprudence in the interpretation of Aboriginal and treaty rights, American legislative actions that could also animate Indigenous self-determination in Canada, and the opportunity for Indigenous governmental action to address violence against women.

Recovering Canada

Recovering Canada PDF

Author: John Borrows

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2017-06-22

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 1487516754

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Canada is covered by a system of law and governance that largely obscures and ignores the presence of pre-existing Indigenous regimes. Indigenous law, however, has continuing relevance for both Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian state. In his in-depth examination of the continued existence and application of Indigenous legal values, John Borrows suggests how First Nations laws could be applied by Canadian courts, and tempers this by pointing out the many difficulties that would occur if the courts attempted to follow such an approach. By contrasting and comparing Aboriginal stories and Canadian case law, and interweaving political commentary, Borrows argues that there is a better way to constitute Aboriginal / Crown relations in Canada. He suggests that the application of Indigenous legal perspectives to a broad spectrum of issues that confront us as humans will help Canada recover from its colonial past, and help Indigenous people recover their country. Borrows concludes by demonstrating how Indigenous peoples' law could be more fully and consciously integrated with Canadian law to produce a society where two world views can co-exist and a different vision of the Canadian constitution and citizenship can be created.

Canadian Constitution in Transition

Canadian Constitution in Transition PDF

Author: Richard Albert

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2019-01-01

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 1487523025

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The year 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of Confederation and the 1867 Constitution Act. Anniversaries like these are often seized upon as opportunities for retrospection. This volume, by contrast, takes a distinctively forward-looking approach. Featuring essays from both emerging and established scholars, The Canadian Constitution in Transition reflects on the ideas that will shape the development of Canadian constitutional law in the decades to come. Moving beyond the frameworks that previous generations used to organize constitutional thinking, the scholars in this volume highlight new and innovative approaches to perennial problems, and seek new insights on where constitutional law is heading. Featuring fresh scholarship from contributors who will lead the constitutional conversation in the years ahead - and who represent the gender, ethnic, linguistic, and demographic make-up of contemporary Canada - The Canadian Constitution in Transition enriches our understanding of the Constitution of Canada, and uses various methodological approaches to chart the course toward the bicentennial.