Review of Indian Self-Government and Sovereignty in Canada essays

Review of Indian Self-Government and Sovereignty in Canada essays Ovide Mercredi, a Native rights advocate and an advisor for treaty and Aboriginal rights, taught Native studies at several universities such as McMaster University and University of Lethbridge. He was also the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations from 1991 to 1997. In his speech, Indian Self-Government and Sovereignty in Canada, Mercredi indicates that Canadas aboriginal people should have their own Self-Government and Sovereignty in order to conduct their own Indian affairs. Also, he gives several examples to distinguish between moral and political issues, and legal and constitutional issues, and makes suggestions on how Indian people can co-exist with the White community in Canada. Through the speech, Mercredi tries to persuade the audience that the laws and rules made by the provincial governments and the federal governments do not work for Indians. He believes this because of the different cultural background and historical issues. As he mentions, Canadas aboriginal people have been living in Canada for thousands of years. They had their own rules before European immigrants imposed their laws and regulations on Indians as the standard for human rights in Canada. Moreover, he points out that these double standards created by the government block the process of better co-existing between Indian community and major communities in Canada. Mercredi not only blames the rules made by Canadian government, but also tries to find solutions and gives suggestions for this moral and political issue. During his speech, Mercredi asks the audience to understand the needs of aboriginal people and to give them sovereignty to manage their own community not the delegated autho rity (270). One of the strengths of Mercredis speech is that he uses many historical and current issues to support his points. For instance, he mentions the recognition and protection of individual rights that the gover...