Who are Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples?: Recognition, Definition, and Jurisdiction

Amendments to the Canadian Constitution in 1982 recognize and affirm the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada , specifically the Indian, Inuit and Metis peoples. A 1996 report from The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples laid out a process to recognize and define Canada’s Aboriginal peoples according to the Constitution. The federal government has ignored these recommendations and continues to maintain and develop the Indian Act, an out-of-date legislative mechanism created for colonial control over Indian reserves and their residents. In this collection, preeminent authors in the field canvass a range of issues, including who defines Aboriginality, interpretations of the Constitution, and the concept of recognition internationally.