Difference between revisions of "Aboriginal Law"

The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' applies to every person in Canada, including Aboriginal people. But it applies only to laws and government actions, or the actions of agencies very closely connected to government, such as school boards and labour relations boards. The Charter will normally apply to band councils and other Aboriginal governments, but not always. Scripts 200, 230, and 232 have more on the Charter.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 is not in the Charter, but it gives constitutional protection to existing Aboriginal and treaty rights and to rights acquired through treaty and land claim negotiations. Since 1982, a lot of common law on identifying and defining aboriginal and treaty rights and how they fit with Canadian society has developed. These rights are site and fact-specific. They are protected from conflict with the rights and freedoms protected by the Charter (by section 25 of the Charter). To date, aboriginal rights are related mainly to the use of natural resources and aboriginal governance. Treaty rights are written into specific treaty documents.