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The Canadian government's attempt to create a sound economic system within Aboriginal communities began more than four decades ago. In the mid-1970s, the settlement of Modern Treaties started as a new approach to finding permanent solutions to Aboriginal economic and social problems. Some analysts believe that Modern Treaties provide a strong foundation for sustainable Aboriginal socio-economic development. Others argue that the financial compensations received through the agreements were inadequate to attain a meaningful transformation of Aboriginal communities. This paper examines the impact of Modern Treaties on the economic and socio-demographic status of Aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories and Northern Quebec. Key words -- Modern Treaties, Aboriginal economic development, Northern Canada

Curtis Cook and Juan D. Lindau, eds. Aboriginal Rights and Self-Government. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2000. vi + 314 pp. $60.00 cloth. Aboriginal rights and self-government are not [...]

Modern land claim agreements (MLCAs) are having an impact on Aboriginal economic and social development. This economic impact stems from the substantial land and cash received through the surrender of land rights. The creation of an economic structure that allows the recipients to manage their land and business is another important component of modern land claim agreements. In this paper, we compare economic development of Aboriginal peoples living in three different areas of the Canadian North, namely, the Western Arctic, the Central Arctic and Northern Quebec, over a ten year period. Even in this short-term period, we argue that those in the Western Arctic and Northern Quebec who had their agreements signed much earlier would have seen a more rapid and persistent advancement in their economic development than those in the Central Arctic (Kitikmeot and Keewatin census regions) whose claims were settled in 1993 as part of the larger Tungavik Federation of Nunavut Final Agreement. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and data from the 1981, 1986 and 1991 Canadian censuses, we have undertaken a longitudinal analysis for each region. The results support our hypothesis. Key words: Aboriginal economic development, Canadian North, modern land claim agreements

John C. Hudson. Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002. xxi + 474 pp. $29.95 cloth. Regional geography [...]

Many of the world's native people have struggled over the years with issues on land rights and ownership with Europeans who settled on their ancestral lands. There are similarities and differences in the history and approaches to achieving land claim agreements in the developed nations of Australia, Canada, and the United States. While there are fundamental similarities and differences in the way Native Land Claim Agreements were achieved in these countries, the notion of land right in these countries is based on the British concept of property rights and ownership. This paper explores the similarities and differences in Native Land Claim Agreements in Australia, Canada and the United States. As the largest agreement, achieved in Canada in the 20th century, Nunavut Land Claim Agreement (NLCA) is examined within the context of Modern Land Claim Agreements (MLCA). This agreement restored land rights to, provided monetary compensation, and established development corporations and self-government to the people in Nunavut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]