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44 Alta. L. Rev. 779 (2006-2007)
Prior Occupation and Schismatic Principles: Toward a Normative Theorization of Aboriginal Title

handle is hein.journals/alblr44 and id is 787 raw text is: TOWARD A NORMATIVE THEORIZATION OF ABORIGINAL TITLE 779 PRIOR OCCUPATION AND SCHISMATIC PRINCIPLES: TOWARD A NORMATIVE THEORIZATION OF ABORIGINAL TITLE DWIGHT G. NEWMAN* There are two divergent principles underlying the constitutional recognition ofAboriginal title in s. 35(l) ofthe Constitution Act, 1982: the historically-oriented principle of prior occupation, and the forward- looking principle of reconciliation. A closer look at the principle of prior occupation reveals several possible rationales behind its requirement in the test forA boriginal title: to promote economic efficiency; to ground a natural right of ownership; and to finction as a proxy for the protection of individual or group identity. However, each of these rationales fails to adequately respond to both previousjurispntdence in the area and the need to achieve a just and legally sound system for determining fiture claims. If prior occupation is instead understood as a proxy for community connections to land, then the primary interests at stake are more clearlv revealed It is then possible to develop a principled and more consistent way of dealing with Aboriginal title claims in a way that respects the interests of all involved. I1 y a deux principes divergents sous-jacents b la reconnaissance constitutionnelle de la revendication autochtone dans s. 35(1) dans la Loi constitutionnelle de 1982: le principe traditionnel du f premier sur place ), et le principe prospectifde a r6conciliation ). En examinant le premier principe de plus pros, on constate que plusieurs justifications sont possibles pour mettre la revendication d'Autochtone 6 1 'preuve: promouvoir I'efficacit6 conomique. neutraliser le droit naturel 6 la propri&6t et agir en tant que procuration pour la protection de I 'identit individuelle ou collective. Cependant, auctne de ces justifications ne ripond bien aux deux cas pr&dents de jurisprudence dans ce domaine ni d'ailleurs au besoin d'arriver bt un systmejuste etjuridiquement solide de r~gler les revendications futures. Si cette notion de r premier stir place )i ddsigne phttt des e liens communautaires lila terre s, alors dans ce cas- lh, les intlr&ts prioritaires en jeu sont phs clairs. 1I serait alors possible de d~velopper unefaqon motive et plus consistante de traiter les revendications autochtones de manibre h respecter les intr&ts de tous les partis int&ess~s. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................. 780 II. HISTORICALLY-ORIENTED AND FORWARD-LOOKING PRIN CIPLES ............................................... 782 A. CASE LAW BACKDROP ................................... 782 B. THE Two PRINCIPLES ................................... 786 1II. THE NORMATIVE FORCE OF PRIOR OCCUPATION .................... 791 A. LIMITS ON THE FORCE OF PRIOR OCCUPATION .................. 791 B. PRIOR OCCUPATION AS AN EFFICIENCY-PROMOTING PRIN CIPLE ............................................ 792 C. PRIOR OCCUPATION AND NATURAL RIGHTS OF O W NERSHIP ......................................... 794 D. PRIOR OCCUPATION AS PROXY FOR IDENTITY PROTECTION .................................. 795 B.A. (Regina), LL.B. (Saskatchewan), B.C.L., M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxford). Assistant Professor and Associate Dean, University of Saskatchewan College of Law. I thank Borden LadnerGervais LLP for research funding under the BLG Summer Student Research Fellowship program. I thank Jill Chapin for research assistance on certain points in the article. I thank the following for helpful comments on a draft version of the article: Jill Chapin, Patricia Farnese, Heather Heavin, Tamara Larre, and Barbara von Tigerstrom. I also thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

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