Delgamuukw v. British Columbia, Aboriginal Title Decision (Supreme Court of Canada, June 1997)
The Supreme Court of Canada decision in Delgamuukw v. British Columbia (June 1997) establishes the constitutional content and proof requirements for aboriginal title under s. 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982, addressing claims by Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs to 58,000 square kilometres in British Columbia. The court held that aboriginal title encompasses the exclusive right to use and occupy land for various purposes, must be proven through evidence of occupation at sovereignty (including oral histories), is inalienable and communal, and can only be infringed by government if justified by compelling objectives paired with consultation and fair compensation.
- Date
- Document type
- Regulatory Filing
- Parties
- Delgamuukw (Earl Muldoe), Gitksan Houses, Wet'suwet'en Houses, Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of British Columbia, The Attorney General of Canada, First Nations Summit, Musqueam Nation, Westbank First Nation, B.C. Cattlemen's Association, Skeena Cellulose Inc., Alcan Aluminum Ltd.
- Locations
- British Columbia, Canada, Gitksan territory, Wet'suwet'en territory, Skeena River, Babine River, Bulkley River, Fraser River, Nechako River, Hagwilget Canyon, Hazelton, Nass River, Vancouver Island, Nootka, Northwest Territories
- Parameters
- aboriginal title, aboriginal rights, land claims, self-government, oral history, occupation and use of land, exclusivity, sovereignty, extinguishment of aboriginal rights, fiduciary duties, justification test, consultation and compensation, Constitution Act 1982 s. 35(1), Indian Act s. 88, Royal Proclamation 1763
- Pages
- 61
Original document
Loading the document…