1 The Contemporary Land Claims and Self-Government Process Should be More Than the Crown Offloading Fiduciary Responsibility at Minimal Cost

Many people, Indigenous and otherwise, are of the erroneous perception that Indigenous peoples, such as the Algonquins of the Ottawa River Valley, enter into land claims and self-government processes with the federal and provincial governments merely to relinquish their traditional territories in exchange for financial compensation. Rather, Indigenous peoples engage in these processes to gain rightful recognition of their traditional territories as well as their share of the revenues generated from their traditional territories. Within the land claims and self-government process the federal and provincial governments are more than willing to negotiate Aboriginal jurisdiction in the areas of membership, adoption, culture, education, health, social services and in others areas such as policing. And through this process, while Indigenous people gain jurisdiction, the Crown is relieved of their responsibilities. In fact, the Inherent Right Policy actually states that the Crown lessens its fiduciary responsibility through the land claims and self-government process. Contradictorily, other peoples, again Indigenous and otherwise, are of the erroneou