Cuthand: Indigenous policy in Canada differs from U.S. – Saskatoon StarPhoenix

In Canada, Treaty and Aboriginal rights are included in the constitution; in the United States, there is no mention.

The reaction to the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline reflects the differences in Indigenous policy in the United States and Canada.

In Canada, Treaty and Aboriginal rights are included in the constitution; in the United States, there is no mention. Canadian treaties were negotiated and conducted in a formal manner, recognizing the honour of the Crown. In the U.S., treaties were signed at the barrel of a gun and basically ignored.

In Canada, the treaties have received legal status through constitutional recognition. First Nations peoples have always maintained this fact, but it took inclusion in the constitution for the courts to give our treaties legal weight.

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