Negotiating Aboriginal Self-Government: Developments Surrounding the 1985 First Ministers' Conference

Sherry L. Douglas-Keetch was a library technician in Longford Mills, Ontario.

The author is the Project Director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queen’s University. This publication is one in a series produced by the Project on Aboriginal Peoples and Constitutional Reform, launched in 1984. The Institute’s research examines the problems in designing and implementing self-government agreements, specifically in reference to Section 37 of the Constitution Act of 1982.

The background paper gives an overview of the period September 1984 to June 1985. “Constitutional negotiations on aboriginal self-government” is a difficult subject, but Hawkes gives it clear and concise treatment. This information is not readily available elsewhere.

This book should be read in conjunction with others produced by the Project. It is brief, yet requires close reading due to the complex subject matter. Also included is a contents page and a notes section, which enhance the book’s usefulness.

The book’s ending encourages the reader to follow the negotiations to their conclusion. “The prospect of achieving a constitutional agreement at or before the 1987 First Ministers’ Conference is uncertain. Trepidation prevents us from answering the question: What if nothing happens?”