Nisga'a Final Agreement: Self-government and its implications on the people of the Nass Valley

Essay by girlnamedblah, University, Bachelor's, A+, July 2004

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Introduction

Self-government is essentially a contestable concept, one where there is no agreement over what it means, what powers a self-government should have, whether a self-government is subordinate to, equal to, or superior to, the other levels, provincial and federal in particular, of government in Canada. In 1998 the Nisga'a Nation signed a tripartite agreement between the people of the Nisga'a First Nation and the governments of Canada and British Columbia and became characterized as setting "a historic precedent," for the future of self-government and self-determination for the Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Though too premature to tell, as this agreement is less than a decade new, it certainly impacts Canada's federation, as this agreement sets a bar for other Aboriginal groups wishing to seek similar arrangements, precipitating a new trend for the reality of Canada. Of course, the nature of politics cannot evolve with out some discussion, for this reason I will explore the implications of this modern treaty on the citizens of the Nisga'a Nation.

The Supreme Court of Canada

While there is little contention that the courts have been the driving force in settling treaty negotiations, they are however lengthy and costly. That said millions of dollars has been spent on this agreement, evidently leaving the Nisga'a Nation autonomous in its governance of its citizens. It would be difficult to assume then, that during the thirty years of settlement negotiations and litigation, beginning with Calder in 1973, that the same amount of investment has been made to strengthen the capacity of the Nisga'a Nation and its citizens to govern themselves.

Politics and Leadership

What is most obvious is that over the last century the Aboriginal peoples of Canada have adopted western liberal values and in many ways assimilated accordingly to colonization. Hence, how are the self-governing Nisga'a Nation...