Canada is home to Aboriginal Peoples who are seeking recognition and self-determination on the world stage.

Over the last century there has been slow but important progress in the recognition of Aboriginal rights in Canada.  Some important developments include:

→  Recognition of voting rights and political participation of Aboriginal peoples has improved.  A key turning point occurred in 1960 when Aboriginal persons were granted full voting rights.

→  There has been an increase in the number of Aboriginal organizations and leaders addressing rights issues in Canada and Internationally.  Barriers to forming Aboriginal organizations (the Indian Act, previously limited the number of groups in Canada that could represent Aboriginal interests and concerns) were removed. New national political groups have organized and continue to grow in importance.   Today examples of such groups include The Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Native Women's Association of Canada and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. No single group is able to speak for all members of a given Aboriginal population, but Aboriginal organizations do help to give many Aboriginal peoples a voice in contemporary discussions on Aboriginal issues.

→  The opening up of land claims negotiations, starting in 1973, that resulted in several modern land claims agreements including: the creation of the new Inuit-controlled territory, Nunavut, in 1999 and the Nisga's Treaty involving the Nisga'a First Nation of BC. Under the treaty terms, the Nisga'a have ownership of and self-government over 1,900 square kilometres of land.

→  New ideas and policies emerged that expanded recognition of Aboriginal rights, including the recognition of Aboriginal and treaty rights in section 35 of the 1982 Canadian Constitution Act. This clause legally protects the cultural activities, practices, and traditions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Canada.  As mentioned above, this clause also recognizes Aboriginal treaty rights.

→  However, with many land claims still left unresolved, the negotiation of new treaties and the maintenance of existing ones remain key concerns for Aboriginal peoples in Canada in the twenty-first century. For example, the British Columbia treaty process currently underway includes seventy percent of the province's First Nations. 

→  Important studies and commissions were initiated (especially the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1992 report) which sought to broaden  understanding of Aboriginal issues and recommend new ways forward.

Importantly, however, many Aboriginal people in Canada continue to feel that their rights are not fully recognized and respected. The Indian Act - both its terms and the way in which it is implemented - is a source of ongoing frustration for many Aboriginal people. And most importantly, there is still a large socio-economic gap between most Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. On important indicators - health status, employment, income and education - Aboriginal people lag significantly behind other Canadians. The challenge of addressing Indigenous rights in Canada remains.

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