ABORIGINAL VIEWPOINT ON THE RIGHT TO
SELF-GOVERNMENT

"We claim that we have always been able to govern ourselves, that we have never voluntarily relinquished our rights to self government and the laws of the federal and provincial governments are restricting and destroying the power of our communities to govern ourselves."

- Konrad Sioui, Chief of Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador

" We want constitutional and legislative change that recognizes: there are in Canada, 3 forms of government, the federal, provincial and the First Nations. We envision a Canada where there will clearly be land governed by Aboriginal people. We want our own justice system, control over the environment, fisheries, game, and the things that happen on our lands."

- George Erasmus, National Chief of First Nations, January 1991

"Aboriginals don't want to be limited to a specific definition of self-government that would hamper change in the future".

- Ovide Mecredi, National Chief of First Nations, 1992

"Self-determination is a right which belongs to 'peoples'. It does not belong to states. It is a right of all peoples. It is universal and non-divisible that is, either you have it or you do not. It is not a right that is given to peoples by someone else. You do not beg for it, you do not ask for it, you have it, period. We put the right of self-determination first because we will never accept the lie that America was discovered'."

- Cree Chief Mathew Coon-Come, January 1992.