Tidbits

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Did you know?

• Comprehensive claims are land claims that deal with areas of the country in which Aboriginal People live and no treaty was ever signed

• The loss of reserve land is the most popular reason for a specific claim

• Aboriginal People must meet four important criteria developed by the federal government to establish Aboriginal title:
   

  1. The individual and their ancestors were members of an organized society e.g. Blackfoot Confederacy

  2. The organized society occupied specific territory over which they are claiming Aboriginal title e.g. areas surrounding Calgary

  3. The occupation of the land was to the exclusion of other organized societies e.g. Plains Cree did not reside in the same territory as the Blackfoot

  4. The occupation of the land was an established fact at the time England asserted sovereignty over the Dominion of Canada
      

• Aboriginal rights can be acknowledged even it the individual did not enter into treaty

• The majority of land claims in British Columbia are comprehensive claims as no treaties were ever signed in that province

• The first comprehensive land claim in Canadian history was between the James Bay Cree and Inuit communities of Northern Quebec and the federal and provincial government in 1975

• When Aboriginal titles are relinquished, Aboriginal People ensure they are

  • Provided with the ability to continue their traditional lifestyles
  • Have a role in decision making regarding land resource development and management within the claim area
  • Receive economic benefits and opportunities from within the claim area

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