Summary Of The Royal Commission On Aboriginal People

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Assessing the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal People was established in 1991 as a response to the Oka Crisis and the numerous social and political concerns surrounding the Canadian natives. The mandate of this commission was ambitious and required its representatives to focus on the various aspects of Aboriginal life, their relationship with the government, and the non-aboriginal population, historically and presently (Volume 5, Appendix C). To accomplish this task, the commissioners focused on four key areas of research “governance; land and economy; social and cultural issues; and the North” (Volume 5, Appendix). Their research approach included visiting Aboriginal communities in order to understand …show more content…

Ultimately the commission heard over 2000 testimonies and guided 350 research projects nationwide (Volume 5, Appendix C). The report was published in 1993 with the clear goal of “renewing the relationship between the Aboriginal and non Aboriginal peoples of Canada”. The commission was divided into five volumes; Looking Forward, Looking Back, Restructuring the Relationship, Gathering Strength, Perspectives and Realities, and Renewal: A Twenty-Year Commitment. Within each section, the commissioners proposed several recommendations that would help alleviate the tensions currently existing between the government and the Aboriginal Nations. What follows is a discussion of the most notable issues and recommendations presented within the commission which include the restructuring of the relationship between the Canadian government and Aboriginal communities, strengthening self governance, and supporting the social and economic development of Aboriginal communities by addressing issues of health, education, and family. Further, this paper will explore the relevance of the recommendations in the present political climate, as well as the challenges this commission has …show more content…

The commission determines that Aboriginal governments currently lack legitimacy, power, and resources and that these conditions must be alleviated to ensure that self determination is possible (Vol 2, Chapter 3). Thus, Aboriginal governments must be able to create their own institutions and have access to natural resources on their reclaimed lands. In order to be self determinant an Aboriginal nation must be of a fair size and be clustered in a specified territory. The entrenchment of this into the Constitution is necessary in order for the jurisdiction of Aboriginal communities to be specified as it is for Provinces and the Federal government. The commission recommends that the government facilitate this transition into Aboriginal self governance by officially recognizing them within the Canadian Federation. The success of Aboriginal self determination is also dependent on the development of sustainable Aboriginal economies. Historically, the Aboriginal nations gathered most of their economic means by harvesting natural resources thus regaining ownership of these resources will ultimately result in successful development (Volume 2, Chapter 5). Moreover, the commissioners emphasise the importance of training and education in order to ensure that Aboriginal communities have the human capital necessary to grow and create prosperous enterprises.

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