Arrival of Strangers - The Last 500 Years

Intergovernmental Relations

It soon became evident that Aboriginal people and Europeans had very different ideas about the use and possession of land. Europeans regarded any land not under cultivation or development as lawfully open to be occupied. Aboriginal people, on the other hand, often stressed shared access to resources.

These profound differences between the world views of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people affected their developing relationships in many ways. Over the centuries, attempts to reconcile these differences have been expressed through alliances, treaties and legislation.

There has also been a continuing debate over Aboriginal title to land, rights of access to natural resources, and the nature of Aboriginal self-government within the modern Canadian state.