Van der Peet case
R. v. Van der Peet [1996] The Van der Peet case was pivotal in further defining Aboriginal rights as outlined in Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982….
Aboriginal Identity & the Classroom
This section is excerpted from a discussion paper by Karrmen Crey about Aboriginal identity in the classroom. This paper was initially written for the What I Learned in…
Aboriginal Title
What is “title?” Aboriginal title refers to the inherent Aboriginal right to land or a territory. The Canadian legal system recognizes Aboriginal title as a sui generis, or…
Guerin Case
R. v. Guerin [1984] R. v. Guerin is a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision that established the Canadian government’s fiduciary duty to First Nations, a trust-like relationship…
Sparrow Case
R. v. Sparrow [1990] R v. Sparrow was a precedent-setting decision made by the Supreme Court of Canada that set out criteria to determine whether governmental infringement on…
Reserves
Indian Reserves In various ways in different parts of [British Columbia], Native life came to be lived in, around, and well beyond these reserves, but wherever one went,…
Constitution Act, 1982 Section 35
What is Section 35 of the Constitution Act? Section 35 is the part of the Constitution Act that recognizes and affirms Aboriginal rights. The Canadian government did not…
Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is a non-profit political organization representing numerous First Nations across BC in order to protect and further Aboriginal title and…
Global Actions
There are an estimated 370 million Indigenous peoples worldwide, living in 70 different countries, according to the United Nations (U.N.) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Despite vast diversity…