addressing conflict with the crown: a first nations perspective

7/31/2019 Addressing Conflict with the Crown: A First Nations Perspective

1/23

PreparedbyRussellDiabo

forthe

IndigenousBarAssociations

20thAnnualFallConference

October2325,2008

Toronto,Ontario


2/23

Trudeau&ChrtienLegacy


3/23

s.37FMCsonAboriginalMatters

S.35

was

only

included

in

constitution

due

to

pressure

fromAboriginalgroups alongwithpublicsupport.

S.35wasreintroducedintodraftconstitutionwiththewordexistingaddedtotheclauseattheinsistenceofWesternPremiers.Theintentwastolimitorrestrictfutureinterpretationsoftheclause.

S.37providedforaFirstMinistersConstitutional

Conferenceon

Aboriginal

Matters

within

1year

of

the

constitutioncomingintoforce.


4/23


S.37provided

that

the

purpose

of

the

FMC

was

to

identificationanddefinitionofwhatrightswouldbeincludedintheconstitution.

FMC1983washeldinthespringwithrepresentativesofthefourNationalAboriginalOrganizations(AFN,ITC,NCC,MNC).

FMC1983agreedonaconstitutionalamendmentthat

providedfor

further

FMCs

on

Aboriginal

Matters,

whichwereheldin1984,1985and1987.


5/23


The

amended

s.

37

process

changed

from

explicitly

identifyinganddefiningwhatrightswouldbeincludedintheconstitutiontomerelyhavingagendamattersthatdirectlyaffecttheaboriginalpeoplesof

Canada.

Despitehavinganumberofagendaitems,theamendeds.37processfocusedonwhethertherighttoselfgovernmentwasaninherentrightvs.acontingent

right,subject

to

Crown

agreement.

TheFMCsendedin1987withoutanyagreementbetweentheNAOsandFirstMinisters.


6/23

Chronologyofs.35Containment 1990SCCSparrow decisionsetsoutjustificationframework

forassessing

assertion

of

s.

35

rights.

1992CharlottetownAccordrejectedbyreferendum. 1995federalgovernmentunilaterallyissuesanAboriginal

SelfGovernmentpolicythatsetsoutthescopeandcontent

of

negotiating

delegated

self

government,

althoughthegovernmentreferstothepolicyasanInherentRightPolicy.

1996SCCVander Peet decisionnarrowsdefinitionof

Aboriginalrights

"...

to

constitute

an

ancestral

right,

an

activitymustbeanelementofacustom,practiceortraditionforminganintegralpartofadistinctcultureofthe

Aboriginalgroupwhichclaimstherightinquestion


7/23

Chronologyofs.35Containment

1996

Final

Report

&

Recommendation

of

the

Royal

CommissiononAboriginalPeoples(RCAP)isreleasedandsubsequentlyignoredandshelvedbythefederalgovernment.

1997federalgovernmenttriestopassIndianActOptionalModificationAct,itdieswhenelectioniscalled.

1997SCC

Delgamuukw decision

sets

out

legal

principlesandtestforAboriginalTitle.CanadaignorestherulingandmaintainsCCP.


8/23


2000

2003

Canada

tries

to

pass

FirstNations

GovernanceAct overwidespreadopposition,Billdies

withprorogationofParliament.

2003CanadaproclaimstheSpecificClaimsResolutionAct.

2004SCCHaida/Taku decisionsonCrownsdutytoconsultanddutytoaccommodateonassertionof

AboriginalRights.

2005SCCMikisew decisionaddsTreatyRightstoCrowndutytoconsult/accommodate.


9/23


Other

recently

passed

federal

legislation

affecting

First

Nationsinvolvesanumberofareas,includingcommercialandindustrialdevelopmentonreserve,landmanagement,oilandgasandmoneys

management,taxation

and

financial

and

statistical

management.

Sincetheadoptionofs.35,theCrownhastriedtotake

advantageof

the

legal

and

political

uncertainty

of

the

scopeandcontentofAboriginal&Treatyrightsbyobtainingconcessionsthroughagreements.


10/23


Through

arbitrary

self

government

and

land

claims

policiesthefederalCrownhasdevelopedselfservingnegotiationpositions,whichareofferedtoFirstNationsasatakeitorleaveitproposition.

InnegotiationstheCrowngovernmentsroutinelytakeadvantageofthepovertyandtiedfundingofFirstNationsknowingthecostoflaunchingandsustaining

litigationasserting,

proving

&

defending

s.

35

Rights

is

beyondtheabilityofmostFirstNations.


11/23

Reconciliation=Surrender TheSCChasinnumerouscasesreferredtoreconciliation

asthe

basic

purpose

of

section

35,

including

the

following

statements: S.35(1)providestheconstitutionalframeworkthrough

whichAboriginalpeopleswholivedonthelandindistinctive

societieswith

their

own

practices,

traditions

and

culture

are

acknowledgedandreconciledwiththesovereigntyoftheCrown.(Vander Peet);and,

TreatiesservetoreconcilepreexistingAboriginal

sovereignty

with

assumed

Crown

sovereignty,

and

to

define

Aboriginalrights

guaranteed

by

s.35

of

the

Constitution

Act,

1982.Section35representsapromiseofrightsrecognition....Thispromiseisrealizedandsovereigntyclaimsreconciledthroughtheprocessofhonourable negotiation.(Haida);


12/23

RCAPRecommendation1.16.2

The

SCC

while

noting

the

RCAP

report

in

some

instancesfailstoaddresstheRCAPrecommendationregardingtheassertionofCrownsovereignty:

[thatthe]Federal,provincialandterritorial

governmentsfurther

the

process

of

renewal

by

(a)acknowledgingthatconceptssuchasterranulliusandthedoctrineofdiscoveryarefactually,legallyandmorallywrong;

(b)declaringthatsuchconceptsnolongerformpartoflawmakingorpolicydevelopmentbyCanadiangovernments;


13/23

RCAPRecommendation1.16.2

(c)

declaring

that

such

concepts

will

not

be

the

basis

of

argumentspresentedtothecourts;

(d)committingthemselvestorenewalofthefederationthroughconsensualmeanstoovercomethehistorical

legacy

of

these

concepts,

which

are

impedimentstoAboriginalpeopleassumingtheirrightfulplaceintheCanadianfederation;and

(e)including

adeclaration

to

these

ends

in

the

new

RoyalProclamationanditscompanionlegislation.


14/23

CourtsarePartoftheCrown

While

the

SCC

decisions

have

been

more

generous

in

theirinterpretationofthescopeandcontents.35rightsthanCrowngovernments,theevidentiaryrequirementstomeetthelegaltestsandthecourt

costsare

largely

prohibitive

for

most

First

Nations.

Despitethes.35recognitionandaffirmationofAboriginalandTreatyrightsintheconstitution,the

legislativeand

policy

trend

of

the

federal

government

since1982hasbeentodenytheinherentrighttoselfgovernmentinfavourofdelegatedauthoritytobands.


15/23

Reconciliation=Surrender

In

comprehensive

claims

agreements

the

Crown

governmentsseekassimilationofFirstNationsandextinguishmentofAboriginalTitleandexchangeof

AboriginalrightsformorelimitedTreatyrights.

Incomprehensive

claims

agreements

the

Crown

seeks

anonassertionofrightsclause.

InspecificclaimsagreementstheCrownrefusesto

returnland

offering

only

cash

as

settlement.

This

has

beenrejectedbySixNations,Tyendinaga&Kahnawake.


16/23

FirstNationsCrownConflicts

First

Nations

have

had

a

variety

of

responses

to

Crown

avoidanceanddenialofs.35Aboriginal/TreatyRights.

TherearethehighprofileconflictsbetweenFirstNationpeoplesandtheCrowngovernments.Someofthese

are

Lubicon

Lake,

Oka,

Ipperwash,

Gustafson

Lake,BarriereLake,BurntChurch,GrassyNarrows,Caledonia,andmorerecentlyKI(BigTroutLake)and

theArdoch

Non

Status

Algonquins.

Thelasttwoexamplessawtheleadershipgoingtojailforignoringinjunctionsagainstthem.


17/23

RulesofEngagement

When

First

Nations

assert

they

have

rights

beyond

whatCrown

governments

are

prepared

to

negotiate

withinpolicyframeworks,thepoliceormilitaryforcehasbeenusedtoimposetheCrowngovernments

interpretation

of

the

limit

of

s.

35

rights. SoaswehaveseentheassertionofFirstNationrights

canleadtocriminalchargesandconvictionsandnotjustcivilproceedings.

ManyFirst

Nations,

particularly

grassroots

people,

do

notunderstandthecomplexitiesofCanadasAboriginalconstitutionallaw.


18/23

RulesofEngagement

The

SCC

decisions

in

Haida/Taku/Mikisew have

now

setout

the

legal

principles

and

guidelines

for

the

duty

toconsult&ifnecessaryaccommodateFirstNationswhenanactivityorprojectmaypotentiallyaffectFirst

Nation

rights/interests

in

traditional

territory. TheSCChasplacedtheburdenofproofonFirst

Nationswhoasserts.35rights.

MostFirstNationshavenothadthefinancialsupportto

professionally

document

and

substantiate

their

historicandcontemporaryconnectiontotheirlandstomeetthelegalstandardsofproof.


19/23

RulesofEngagement

Some

provincial

governments

like

Quebec

and

OntariohaveissuedpostHaidainterimconsultation/accommodation guidelines.

ThefederalgovernmenthasissuedpostHaidainternal

consultation

guidelines

to

their

officials,

attemptingtolimittheirresponsibilitytofederalprojectsoractivities.

FirstNations

are

still

not

properly

funded

to

prepare

forconsultationsoraccommodationnegotiationswithCrowngovernmentsorThirdParties.


20/23

CapacityBuilding

First

Nation

(bands)

need

funding

to

organize

internallytomanageconsultationrequestsfromCrowngovernmentsand/orThirdParties.

FirstNationsneedinhouseoroutsideconsultantstoprovide

independent

technical/scientific

advice

on

naturalresourcemanagement/regionalplanningissues.

FirstNations

need

to

develop

modern

methods

of

keepingtrackofconsultationsie.Developingadatabasetotrackthestatusofconsultations.


21/23

InformationManagement

researchers

governmentcommunity

knowledge

industry

interestgroups

academics }maps

letters

reports

databases

stories

decision

interpretation

}


22/23

Conclusion

To

reduce

the

threat

of

First

Nations

Crown

conflicts

overnaturalresourcedevelopments/regionalplanningonAboriginalTitle/TreatyTerritories,FirstNationsneedsupportforcapacitybuildingandinformation

management/interpretation. Crowngovernmentsneedtorevisepoliciesandlawsto

beconsistentwiththeSCClegalprinciplesand

guidelinesset

out

in

recent

case

law,

including

Delgamuukw andHaida/Taku/Mikisew.ThirdPartieswithaninterestshouldbepartoftheprocess.


23/23

Conclusion

The

conditions

for

reconciliation

between

First

NationsandtheCrownwontbeinplaceuntilthefederalselfgovernmentandlandclaimspoliciesarerevisedtobeconsistentwiththelaw.

Canadasdomestic

policy

and

law

should

be

measured

againsttheinternationalstandardssetoutintheU.N.DeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoplesand

thegaps

identified

and

reported

to

the

relevant

U.N.

bodiesandagencies.

addressing conflict with the crown: a first nations perspective

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