Development Planning and Aboriginal Rights: the Case of Northern Canada

In the Canadian North the post-contact era has seen the erosion of aboriginal self-determination. State intervention premised on resource exploitation, maintenance of sovereignty, compassion, and implementation of regional development policies intended to address economic inequalities set the pace and boundaries of social, economic and political change. There are now signs of potential opportunities to redress the asymmetrical power balance. However, the limits of the new social contract are becoming clearer. The issue of aboriginal self-determination has reached an impasse. This research shows that breaking this impasse will require a paradigm shift of equal or greater magnitude than occurred with the formal recognition of aboriginal rights and title in 1973.
 
In the Canadian North the post-contact era has seen the erosion of aboriginal self-determination. State intervention premised on resource exploitation, maintenance of sovereignty, compassion, and implementation of regional development policies intended to address economic inequalities set the pace and boundaries of social, economic and political change. There are now signs of potential opportunities to redress the asymmetrical power balance. However, the limits of the new social contract are becoming clearer. The issue of aboriginal self-determination has reached an impasse. This research shows that breaking this impasse will require a paradigm shift of equal or greater magnitude than occurred with the formal recognition of aboriginal rights and title in 1973.