Aboriginal Rights: Truths for Canadians

Some hard truths for Canadians, that our governments won't tell us, but the Supreme Court is teaching us ... Are we listening?

It's as simple as ... Aboriginal/'Indian' ... Indigenous Peoples of Canada ... welcomed us to Kanata "The Village" . As sovereign Nations, interested in trade and development, they made Treaties with the Crown of Britain to allow us to live "to a plough's depth" on Indigenous territory, Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada holds Canada to the treaties, and insists on negotiation rather than confrontation. In our treaties with them, Indigenous Peoples retain the right to live and sustain themselves from their traditional land. In current court rulings, 'the Crown' - our government - has a duty to consult "reasonably" and negotiate "adequate" accommodation of Indigenous Rights. The Ontario Court of Appeal says injunctions against Indigenous protests will no longer be granted by the courts, where the duty to consult and accommodate is not fulfilled. Developments being protested by Indigenous Peoples will not go ahead without negotiated or legislated agreement.

This is what the courts of Canada are teaching us ... About what it truly means to be Canadian in 2008. Indigenous Peoples have a say in development

Indigenous People have the responsibility to protect and care for the land, and we must stop sprawl development on the greenfields, uranium mining, clearcutting, etc., as they see fit in their territory.

Indigenous Peoples have a share in revenues

We can't continue to reap all the benefits of the resource wealth of traditional Indigenous land land without sharing it with those for whom Canada "holds the land in trust".

Reasonable consultation, adequate accommodation

Respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is what we must demand our governments do.