The Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Aboriginal Constitution
In Terry Fenge and Jim Aldridge, eds., Keeping Promises: The Royal Proclamation of 1763, Aboriginal Rights, and Treaties in Canada (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015), 14-32, ISBN: 978-0-7735-4587-8
45 Pages Posted: 2 Apr 2019
Date Written: 2015
Abstract
In the Manitoba Metis Federation case, the Supreme Court of Canada identifies three major pillars of Aboriginal law: the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Honour of the Crown, and Aboriginal Treaties. This paper argues that these three, taken together, make up the framework of the Aboriginal Constitution, which parallels the Federal Pact among the Provinces and provides the Constitution of Canada with its most ancient roots.
Keywords: Canadian constitutional law, Royal Proclamation of 1763, Honour of the Crown, Indigenous treaties, Aboriginal rights, Indigenous rights, History of Canada,
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