From the Charlottetown Accord to the Present

he latest period in the development of Aboriginal rights consists mainly of court decisions and negotiated agreements. In addition, in 1996 the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples released its monumental Report, the most in-depth study of Aboriginal issues ever undertaken. But while the Report has been cited several times by the Supreme Court, it does not appear to have had much of an impact on government policy. One year later, in 1997, the landmark Delgamuukw v. British Columbia decision laid down fundamental principles regarding the nature, content, proof, infringement, and extinguishment of Aboriginal title. Among other findings, the court stated that aboriginal title is a property right, entitling the holders to exclusive possession and use of land and its resources.

Using the dropdown menu on the left, follow the links for brief descriptions of the most important court cases since 1992, in chronological order. With the exception of Campbell v. British Columbia, these are all Supreme Court of Canada decisions.