Aboriginal Resource Use in Canada: Historical and Legal Aspects (Manitoba Studies in Native History)

Aboriginal rights are the subject of significant public concern in Canada. In this collection of 18 articles, the contributors focus on Aboriginal rights to the use of resources. They examine the nature and extent of resource use by Aboriginal peoples before contact with Europeans, and the persistence of indigenous economic systems during periods of intense interaction with Europeans. The fur trade changed some of the economic activity of Aboriginal peoples, but other patterns have survived.The effect of Canadian government policy and the legal system on these indigenous economies is a major theme of the book. The St. Catherine's Milling and Lumber case is examined in detail because of its effect on subsequent legal findings on the concept of Aboriginal land title. More recent cases, such as those affecting Native water rights in British Columbia and the Git'ksan-Wet'suet'en claim, are also discussed. The problem of interpreting historical and legal evidence is examined in detail.As Canada's Aboriginal peoples move towards self-determination, the nature of Aboriginal rights has become a subject of major importance to all Canadians. This volume, drawing on the perspectives of history, law, political science, ethnohistory, archaeology and cultural geography, will help us to understand some of the most important issues facing Canadians in the 1990s.