2014-03-07

1
Self-deLermlnauon
norLh Amerlcan
lndlgenous eoples Caucus
lnformauon Sesslon
lebruary 28, 2014
Colonlallsm
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1erra nulllus - LmpLy land
Colonlal uocLrlnes of ulscovery
!&$&')&'*+ - ueparLmenL of lndlan Aalrs
,$$-&##"%' - Cka, CusLafsen Lake, Sun eaks
8rlush norLh Amerlca AcL 1867
Puman 8lghLs vlolauon of lndlgenous eoples 8lghL Lo Self-deLermlnauon
2014-03-07
2
ConsuLuuon Lxpress 1980
Canadlan ConsuLuuon AcL 1982
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35. (1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the
aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and
affirmed.
un lndlgenous 8odles
4$&*"56 75$$%-3&8- on Lhe slLuauon of human
rlghLs and fundamenLal freedoms of
lndlgenous people
unlLed nauons 9&-25'&'3 :%-82 %'
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=>$&-3 ?&*@5'"#2 on lndlgenous eoples Lo
Lhe Puman 8lghLs Councll
2014-03-07
3
un Puman 8lghLs 8odles
lnLernauonal CovenanL on Clvll and ollucal
8lghLs (CC8)
lnLernauonal Convenuon on Lconomlc, Soclal
and CulLural 8lghLs (CLSC8)
lnLernauonal CovenanL on Lhe Lllmlnauon of
All lorms of 8aclal ulscrlmlnauon (CL8u)
;'3&-'5A%'56 B%1&'5'3 %'
B"1"6 5') 9%6"A*56 7"<@3#
Arucle 1
1. All peoples have Lhe rlghL of self-
deLermlnauon. 8y vlrLue of LhaL
rlghL Lhey freely deLermlne Lhelr
pollucal sLaLus and freely pursue
Lhelr economlc, soclal and culLural
developmenL.
;'3&-'5A%'56 B%1&'5'3 %'
B"1"6 5') 9%6"A*56 7"<@3#
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2. All peoples may, for Lhelr own ends, freely
dlspose of Lhelr naLural wealLh and
resources wlLhouL pre[udlce Lo any
obllgauons arlslng ouL of lnLernauonal
economlc co-operauon, based upon Lhe
prlnclple of muLual beneL, and
lnLernauonal law. ln no case may a people
be deprlved of lLs own means of
subslsLence.
2014-03-07
4
ueclarauon on Lhe 8lghLs of
lndlgenous eoples (u8l)
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lndlgenous peoples have Lhe rlghL Lo
self-deLermlnauon. 8y vlrLue of LhaL
rlghL Lhey freely deLermlne Lhelr pollucal
sLaLus and freely pursue Lhelr economlc,
soclal and culLural developmenL
un u8l
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lndlgenous peoples, ln exerclslng Lhelr rlghL Lo self-
deLermlnauon, have Lhe rlghL Lo auLonomy or self-
governmenL ln mauers relaung Lo Lhelr lnLernal and
local aalrs, as well as ways and means for nanclng
Lhelr auLonomous funcuons.
!"#$%& +
lndlgenous peoples have Lhe rlghL Lo malnLaln and
sLrengLhen Lhelr dlsuncL pollucal, legal, economlc, soclal
and culLural lnsuLuuons, whlle reLalnlng Lhelr rlghL Lo
paruclpaLe fully, lf Lhey so choose, ln Lhe pollucal,
economlc, soclal and culLural llfe of Lhe SLaLe.
un u8l
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Lvery lndlgenous lndlvldual has Lhe rlghL Lo a
nauonallLy.
2014-03-07
3
un u8l
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1. noLhlng ln Lhls ueclarauon may be lnLerpreLed
as lmplylng for any SLaLe, people, group or
person any rlghL Lo engage ln any acuvlLy or Lo
perform any acL conLrary Lo Lhe CharLer of Lhe
unlLed nauons or consLrued as auLhorlzlng or
encouraglng any acuon whlch would dlsmember
or lmpalr, LoLally or ln parL, Lhe 3&--"3%-"56
"'3&<-"3+ or pollucal unlLy of soverelgn and
lndependenL SLaLes.
un u8l
!"#$%& *,
2. ln Lhe exerclse of Lhe rlghLs enunclaLed ln Lhe presenL
ueclarauon, human rlghLs and fundamenLal freedoms
of all shall be respecLed. 1he exerclse of Lhe rlghLs seL
forLh ln Lhls ueclarauon shall be sub[ecL only Lo such
llmlLauons as are deLermlned by law and ln
accordance wlLh lnLernauonal human rlghLs
obllgauons. Any such llmlLauons shall be non-
dlscrlmlnaLory and sLrlcLly necessary solely for Lhe
purpose of securlng due recognluon and respecL for
Lhe rlghLs and freedoms of oLhers and for meeung
Lhe [usL and mosL compelllng requlremenLs of a
democrauc socleLy.
CD E825' 7"<@3# B%22"F&&
1. lease provlde lnformauon on Lhe
concepL of self-deLermlnauon as lL ls
applled Lo Aborlglnal peoples ln
Canada, lncludlng Meus people, as
promlsed ln paragraph 8 of Lhe h
perlodlc reporL (prevlous concluslons
(CC8/C/79/103), para. 7).

2014-03-07
6
ConsuLuuonal Conferences
".GH (1) A consuLuuonal conference composed of Lhe rlme
MlnlsLer of Canada and Lhe rsL mlnlsLers of Lhe provlnces
shall be convened by Lhe rlme MlnlsLer of Canada wlLhln one
year aer Lhls arL comes lnLo force.

(2) 1he conference convened under subsecuon (1) shall have
lncluded ln lLs agenda an lLem respecung consuLuuonal
mauers LhaL dlrecLly aecL Lhe aborlglnal peoples of Canada,
lncludlng Lhe ldenucauon and denluon of Lhe rlghLs of
Lhose peoples Lo be lncluded ln Lhe ConsuLuuon of Canada,
and Lhe rlme MlnlsLer of Canada shall lnvlLe represenLauves
of Lhose peoples Lo paruclpaLe ln Lhe dlscusslons on LhaL lLem
lndlgenous Canadlans
28. As well, ln Lhls Lradluonal approach, lndlgenous
collecuvlues and oLher peoples llvlng wlLhln Lhe
exlsung sLaLe of Canada paruclpaLe ln Lhe
exerclse of Lhe rlghL of self-deLermlnauon as
parL of Lhe people of Canada. lndlgenous
lndlvlduals ln Canada beneL from all Lhe rlghLs
ln Lhe lnLernauonal covenanLs. Canada has a
governmenL represenLauve of Lhe whole people
belonglng Lo Lhe LerrlLory, wlLhouL dlsuncuon of
any klnd.

Asslmllauon ollcy
29. ln addluon, Canada underLakes speclal
measures for lndlgenous lndlvlduals and
collecuvlues ln Canada, Lo enable Lhem Lo fulll
Lhelr rlghL Lo lead llves of dlgnlLy, Lo preserve
Lhelr culLure, Lo share equlLably ln Lhe frulLs of
nauonal growLh and Lo play Lhelr parL ln Lhe
governmenL of Lhe counLry of whlch Lhey are
cluzens. ln 1982, Lhe exlsung Aborlglnal and
LreaLy rlghLs of Lhe Aborlglnal peoples of Canada
were glven consuLuuonal recognluon and
amrmauon.
2014-03-07
7
eoples WlLhln Lxlsung SLaLe
30. 1he CovernmenL of Canada recognlzes LhaL
Lhere may be collecuvlues, wlLhln Lhe overall
populauon of a SLaLe, LhaL may meeL Lhe crlLerla
of a people" aL lnLernauonal law and who have
a rlghL of self-deLermlnauon under common
Arucle 1 of Lhe CovenanLs. 1he CovernmenL of
Canada recognlzes LhaL some lndlgenous
collecuvlues may meeL Lhe crlLerla Lo quallfy as
peoples" aL lnLernauonal law, on Lhe same
basls as oLher collecuvlues quallfy as peoples.
un Puman 8lghLs Commluee
1reaLy: CovenanL on Clvll and ollucal 8lghLs (CC8)
LxpecLed daLe of Conslderauon for Amerlcas Canada
Ceneva, SwlLzerland
4&##"%'# 435-3 !53& =') !53&
CC8 Sesslon 112 13 CcL 2014 31 CcL 2014
CC8 Sesslon 114 06 !ul 2013 24 !ul 2013