For Future Generations: Reconciling Gitxsan and Canadian Law

P. Dawn Mills

Aug. 2008 · UBC Press

Über dieses E-Book

"...For Future Generations exemplifies Dr. Mills' ongoing commitment to reconciliation and her motivation to provide a model for collaborative land use planning and management between the Crown and Aboriginal people." -Don Ryan, Hanamuxw, from the foreword. Relying extensively on the court transcripts from Delgam'Uukw v. British Columbia, her own research, and material provided by the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs' office, Dawn Mills paints a compelling picture of the Gitxsan relationship to the land and their community, and their court battle all the way to Canada's Supreme Court to prove their Aboriginal right to land and self-government. Contrary to the position taken by many legal scholars, Mills argues that the trial judgement in the Delgam'Uukw opened up new opportunities for First Nations people to present evidence based on oral traditions that had not been previously accepted by the courts. While the book focuses on the judgments rendered in the Gitxsan's struggle in the courts and an analysis of the judgments and strategies utilized, it is more than a law book. Written to appeal to a wide audience, Dawn Mills passionately shows how reconciliation can be achieved between Canada's First Nations and the various levels of government. The lessons to be learned from this book can be applied equally to all Indigenous communities in Canada and elsewhere.

Autoren-Profil

Dr. Mills received her PhD in Native Law, History and Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law. Her research includes the intersection of First Nations and Canadian state property rights, especially in the area of mineral, oil and gas development. She has worked for a number of First Nations communities advising on the impact of potential resource development, including the Gitxsan. She holds an Adjunct position at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and runs her own consulting company specializing in development issues impacting on First Nations.