The Rights of Aboriginal Peoples

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses some of the issues that relate to the rights of aboriginal peoples in Canada. The paper specifically focuses on achieving a deeper understanding of basic terms such as nation, property and people. The paper discusses the barriers between the aboriginal people and white Canadians that are caused by poor communication or differing understandings of terms.

From the Paper:

"In essence, terms as they are used by whites bear no comparison when they are used by natives. John Locke, for instance, exemplifies European ideas of property. He believed that property in its original form was the earth given by God to human beings. This appears similar to the view of Native peoples. People's reason enables them to make the best use of natural resources and ways of appropriating those resources. "Though the Earth, and all inferior Creatures be common to all Men, yet every man has a Property in his own Person" (Locke, 2002, p. 60). As Locke viewed it, the concept of property actually began with the commons, or that which is owned by all individuals in common. All of this is very foreign to how Native peoples regard land and property. Indians do not even understand the idea of land tenure. In Indian culture, all material goods are held in common. There may be a commons but it is not owned in any sense."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Falikowski, A. (1998). Moral philosophy for modern life. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.
• Locke, J. (2002). Classics of political and social philosophy. Waterloo: University of Waterloo, 2002.
• Mill, J.S. (1981). On liberty. New York: Penguin.

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• Research Paper # 24642 : "Australia And Rights Of Indigenous People"
• Analytical Essay # 142676 : "Canada's Aboriginal People and Land Rights"

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