Description
For Future Generations: Reconciling Gitxsan and Canadian Law by P. Dawn Mills is part of Purich Publishing's Aboriginal Issues series. This brief volume offers a general readership insight into the Gitxsan perspective of Aboriginal rights and title. The author has spent a number of years studying and researching the historic court cases such as Delgam'Uukw v. British Columbia as well as Gitxsan property law and governance. The book begins with an historical overview of land and First Nations rights as they pertain to British Columbia from 1795-1916. The author explores the Gitxsan understanding of contact and diplomatic protocol when dealing with newcomers. The third chapter details the various Gitxsan court cases from the 1920s to the late 1990s. The fourth chapter offers readers insight into the Gitxsan model for governance, land use and rights, management, dispute resolution, and ecological responsibilities. The author strongly believes that the Gitxsan model of governance and land rights can be reconciled with those of Canada and the province. She also believes that this model can be further applied to other First Nations and Canada disputes. The book makes effective use of Gitxsan terminology for land and governance and a Gitxsan glossary is provided at the beginning of the book.