Author Description

This book is an introduction to some of the main themes and conclusions in the final, five-volume report of a royal commission that directed its consultations to examining the foundations of a fair and honourable relationship between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples of Canada. The commission held public hearings, visited communities, commissioned research studies, and reviewed numerous past inquiries and reports before producing its final report. That report is an account of the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people as a central facet of Canada's heritage, of the distortion of that relationship over time, and of the terrible consequences of that distortion for Aboriginal people. It also makes recommendations on restoring a fair and honourable relationship. Chapters of the book correspond to the report's five volumes, and cover such topics as the history of Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal relations, Aboriginal self- government, social and economic conditions, Aboriginal cultural heritage, and the commitment to renewal.