Aboriginal – The first people known to have lived in a given area. In BC aboriginal ancestry dates back 15,000 years to forever – depending on to whom you speak. Used in business when referring to the population in general terms. E.g. “Amongst the Aboriginal population, 46% of individuals are under age 25.” (www.aandc-aadnc.gc.ca)
Aboriginal Rights – Aboriginal rights are collective rights which flow from Aboriginal peoples’ continued use and occupation of certain areas. They are inherent rights which Aboriginal peoples have practiced and enjoyed since before European contact. Because each First Nation has historically functioned as a distinct society, there is no one official overarching Indigenous definition of what these rights are.
Aboriginal Title – Refers to the inherent Aboriginal right to land or a territory.
Collaborate – work jointly on an activity or project (Oxford English Dictionary)
Crown Land – An area under the control of the federal or provincial government, 94% of the land is BC is still termed provincial crown land.
Band or Tribal Council – The political body identified by the Indian Act (an Act of Parliament, 1876) that governs a reserve or a number of reserves. A band may include more than one nation or there may be more than one band within a single First Nation. Sometimes used interchangeably with First Nation.
First Nation – Refers to a group of people with its own distinct culture, history and territory. It implies that aboriginal people should be engaged on a nation-to-nation basis rather than as a federal government to its subjects. Used when referring to the people responsible for a specific geographic jurisdiction.
Indian – A legal term used in the Indian Act and widely used in the past to refer to aboriginal people in North America, dating back to Christopher Columbus who hoped he had reached the shores of India; still sometimes used today, including by some aboriginal people, but inappropriate in any business or political context, especially if used by non-Aboriginal people.
Indian Act – is the primary document which governs how the Canadian state interacts with the 614 First Nation bands in Canada and their members. It dates back to 1876 and concerns registered Indians, their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. It is very wide-ranging in scope, covering governance, land use, healthcare, education, and more on Indian reserves, and has been the source of a great deal of controversy resulting in many amendments over the years. (Wikipedia)
Indian Treaty – Legal agreements Canada signed with First Nations across most of the country, in which Canada or “the Crown” gained title (ownership) of the land, and in exchange guaranteed annual payments in perpetuity, as well as access to health care and education. Originally treaties did not include the right to vote, and for a time forbid the right to speak native languages or perform traditional ceremonies such as potlatches. In BC many First Nations never signed treaties although most are still in negotiations with the Provincial Government to do so.
Indigenous – The first people of a specific region. E.g. the Haida people are indigenous to Haida Gwaii, the Musqueam people are indigenous to what is now called Vancouver – they share much of this territory with the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Inuit – An Aboriginal people in Northern Canada, who live in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Quebec and Northern Labrador. The word means “people” in the Inuit language — Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk.
Jurisdiction – The power, authority or control granted to a formally constituted legal agency or political entity, to deal with and make pronouncements on matters of infrastructure, environment, economy or justice.
Land Claim – A First Nations’ claim to their traditional territory. By the laws of Canada, a First Nation has significant rights of title (ownership) to its traditional territories. These rights are the same whether there is a treaty or no treaty, however a treaty is specific and binding and there need be no negotiation for title to the land once it is in place. This allows a First Nation to determine how the land is used and who is granted access, although there are some limits and there is some ability for the Federal Government to override Aboriginal rights to traditional territory.
Metis – a person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry and who is accepted by the Métis Nation. The Supreme Court of Canada recognizes the Métis as having the same rights as other Aboriginal people. (Métis National Council, 2002)
Native – A term widely used in the 1980’s & ‘90’s to refer to Canadian and American aboriginal people. No longer appropriate to use in business in Canada.
Native American – A term widely used to refer to aboriginal people in the United States, sometimes also ‘American Indian.’
New Relationship Trust – An independent non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening First Nations in BC through capacity building in 5 key areas: governance capacity, education, language & culture, youth & Elders, and economic development. Was endowed with $100M by the Provincial Government.
Reserve – Parcels of land the Canadian government assigned to Aboriginal peoples after the British (and later Canada) claimed ownership of all land now called “Canada.
Royal Proclamation of 1763 – King George III affirms Indigenous Title and Rights to unceded territories in North America, acknowledging the right to the lands, territories and resources which Indigenous Peoples have traditionally owned or occupied, and cements the Crown’s duty to negotiate with Indigenous people for the surrender of land.
Strategic Engagement Agreements (SEA) – Agreement between the Province of BC and First Nations that is intended to encourage a positive and respectful government-to-government relationship; strengthen B.C.’s investment climate; establish mutually agreed upon procedures for consultation and accommodation.
Transformative Change Accord (TCA) 2005 – An agreement between the Province of BC, the federal government and the BC Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit, and Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Intended to close the social and economic gap between First Nations and other British Columbians over the next 10 years, reconcile Aboriginal rights and title with those of the Crown, and establish a new relationship based upon mutual respect and recognition.
Treaty – A contract between two nations where rights and title are defined. The Nisga’a-Canada Treaty took 113 years on which to come to agreement. It included taxation, jurisdiction, dispute resolution, governance, justice, transition out of the Indian Act among many other things.
RESOURCES
- A Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, 2010.
- Indigenous Foundations, UBC, retrieved on September 12, 2013:
http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/land-rights/aboriginal-title.html
- Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Province of BC, retrieved on September 12, 2013: http://www.newrelationship.gov.bc.ca/agreements_and_leg/other.html
- First Nations in BC, retrieved on September 12, 2013:
- Union of BC Indian Chiefs
http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/department/library.htm#axzz2sTjZh096
- Metis National Council, retrieved May 24, 2015
http://www.metisnation.ca/index.php/who-are-the-metis/citizenship