week 3). acceptance, meaning that identity must also be recognized by a specific Indigenous community; and historical continuity with pre-colonial societies, which emphasizes that Indigenous peoples maintain cultural, political, and social practices that existed before colonization and continue into the present. Indigenous peoples also maintain a strong connection to specific territories, which is critical because identity is tied to land rather than just state borders, and they possess distinct languages, cultures, and governance systems. Importantly, Indigenous peoples are identified as non-dominant within modern states and maintain a strong collective resolve to preserve their identity and autonomy. These principles were intentionally designed to avoid a strict definition so that Indigenous peoples retain the power to define themselves rather than having that imposed by institutions like the United Nations . Indigenous peoples and political systems, but it cannot be understood through Canadian law alone because there is a constant tension between international definitions of Indigeneity and Canadian statutory definitions, and this tension shapes almost every political issue in the course

Indigenous international relations

The systems of political, social, and territorial relationships that existed between Indigenous nations, emphasizing relationality and interconnectedness.

Relationality

The core idea in Indigenous international relations suggesting that nations are interconnected and responsible to one another and the land, differing from Western concepts of sovereignty.

Foundational values

The principles that guide behavior in Indigenous international relations, such as sharing and responsibility, that function like laws.

Sharing

A political principle in Indigenous culture that allows multiple nations to exist within the same territory without conflict, emphasizing collective use of land.

Responsibility

The focus in Indigenous systems on obligations to others and the land, often viewed as more important than individual rights.

Reciprocity

The principle that if something is taken, something must be given back, maintaining balance in relationships between nations and the environment.

Conflict resolution in Indigenous relations

The goal of restoring balance and maintaining long-term relationships rather than domination or elimination.

Haudenosaunee Confederacy

An example of an Indigenous political structure that demonstrated shared governance among multiple nations while maintaining distinct identities.

Modern organizations in Indigenous politics

Groups like the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs that represent multiple nations and emphasize principles like sharing and reciprocity.

Colonization as a structure

The understanding that colonization is a system of domination that continues to shape political, legal, and social systems today.

Doctrine of discovery

The principle claiming that European powers could claim land by being the first Europeans to see it, regardless of Indigenous presence.

Doctrine of cession

The method by which land was acquired through treaties under often unequal conditions, marking a key transition in colonial practices.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

A document that established that Indigenous land could only be acquired through treaties, recognizing Indigenous nations as political entities.

Treaties in Indigenous context

Ongoing relationships based on sharing and mutual responsibilities rather than completed transactions of land ownership.

Colonial objectives in treaties

The dual nature of treaties recognizing Indigenous sovereignty while also reflecting colonial goals of assimilation and control.

Tension in contemporary politics

The ongoing conflict between Indigenous systems emphasizing relationships and balance versus Western systems emphasizing control and hierarchy.