The white paper dismissed treaties as of little significance and denied any legal character to aboriginal title claims. ... The first major case showing the shift was the Nishga aboriginal title case, Calder v Attorney General of British Columbia, decided by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1973. Technically the Nishga lost, but the court divided equally on the question whether the Nishga had aboriginal title to their traditional territories. The case became one reason for the federal decision to negotiate settlements of aboriginal title claims in parts of Canada, a policy announced ab...

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• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School